BTS speech pulls in millions of views for UN sustainability forum

Attending as special presidential envoys for culture and future generations, the famous K-pop group spoke at the UN's second Sustainable Development Goals Moment

BTS, who participated in the UN General Assembly as a special presidential envoy for future generations and culture, pose for a photo at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York on Monday. (Yonhap News)

While visiting the US to take part in the UN General Assembly, South Korean President Moon Jae-in enjoyed a boost after appointing the K-pop group BTS as “special presidential envoys for culture and future generations.”

The New York Times and Washington Post reported that the opening ceremony for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment), which was attended by Moon and the members of BTS on Monday, was viewed live by approximately 1 million people.

Members of BTS speak at the opening ceremony for the second SDG Moment held at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday. (Yonhap News)

Moon and BTS have attended four events together to date, including an interview with the US network ABC on Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, videos of a BTS performance of “Permission to Dance” pre-recorded around the UN headquarters and the SDG Moment meeting itself had respectively racked up 12 million and 6.48 million views.

President Moon Jae-in and BTS chat before an interview with US broadcaster ABC filmed at the office of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York on Monday. (Yonhap News)

“The UN General Assembly meeting is typically attended by policymakers and politicians and is not generally known for attracting widespread interest,” the Washington Post noted. “While high-profile celebrities often appear to give speeches, the attention driven by BTS was uniquely intense.”

First lady Kim Jung-sook also accompanied BTS Tuesday on a visit to the Korean gallery at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the US.

First lady Kim Jung-sook and BTS pose for a photo at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday while in New York for the UN General Assembly. (Yonhap News)

First lady Kim Jung-sook and BTS take in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Korean art exhibit on Monday while in New York for the UN General Assembly. (Yonhap News)

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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