BTS dances at UN as they rally young people to fight climate change
- The K-pop stars said the pandemic had created a ‘Covid lost generation’, but offered hope and encouragement to their young fans
- ‘We can’t stand still in taking on new challenges when we’re in the ideal time of our lives,’ they said
The seven-member boy band, clad in subdued dark suits, said they hoped to rally young people to look at how to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals – UN benchmarks on which the world has fallen increasingly behind.
After their remarks, the pop stars put on a pre-recorded video of their track, Permission to Dance , as they showed their moves throughout the General Assembly and on the UN’s lawn.
“There were times during the past two years when I too felt bewildered and troubled, but still we hear people cry out, ‘let’s live on, let’s make the best of this moment’,” singer Jin said as he recounted responses from young people.
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“We can’t stand still in taking on new challenges when we’re in the ideal time of our lives.”
The Sustainable Development Goals include eradicating extreme poverty around the world by 2030.
“It would be easy to lose hope. But we are not hopeless or helpless,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the session. “We have a path to recovery if we choose to take it.”