South Korean President appoints BTS as special envoys before their visit to the UN

SEOUL -- K-pop group BTS was appointed as "special presidential envoy for future generations and culture" by South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday.

After the ceremony, Moon presented each member of the group with diplomatic passports and fountain pens.

Moon thanked BTS for its participation in the Permission to Dance challenge for the hearing impaired and congratulated the group on winning three awards at the MTV Music Awards.

As part of their first official duties as special envoys, BTS will be accompanying Moon in his visit to the United States from Sept. 19 to 23. Moon and BTS will attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York for the second meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Moment). The SDG Moment aims to reinforce the international community’s efforts to resolve global challenges, including poverty, hunger and climate issues.

The theme of the 76th General Assembly is "building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations."

At the upcoming session, BTS will give a speech and a video clip of their performance will be played. BTS is also expected to deliver a message of consolation and hope to youth all over the world.

According to the Korean government, BTS’ attendance is expected to "serve as a meaningful opportunity to expand communication with future generations around the world and draw their sympathy on major international issues."

BTS member RM said in a statement, “It is an honor to be able to do something with a title special presidential envoy for future generations and culture. We were always contemplating on ways to give back the love we received, and we are honored to have the opportunity given by the president to be special envoys.”

This is not the first time that Moon and BTS visited the United Nations together. In 2018, RM delivered a speech titled "Speak Yourself," sharing a message about self-empowerment and love, while Moon discussed denuclearization efforts.

In 2020, BTS delivered a speech online for the 75th session of the UN General Assembly to encourage people amid the pandemic.