Seventeen named Unesco's first goodwill ambassador for youth

Boy band Seventeen will be named Unesco's first goodwill ambassador for youth, its agency Pledis Entertainment said on Tuesday.

Boy band Seventeen poses with Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay, center. [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band Seventeen will be named Unesco's first goodwill ambassador for youth, its agency Pledis Entertainment said on Tuesday.

Seventeen will attend the appointment ceremony at Unesco headquarters in Paris at 10 a.m. on June 26, along with Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay. During the ceremony, Seventeen will share detailed plans through a speech accepting the position.

Seventeen is the first K-pop act appointed as an official Unesco goodwill ambassador.

Unesco appoints people with world-renowned reputations in various fields of society as goodwill ambassadors. Vocalist and conductor Plácido Domingo, Real Madrid footballer Vinícius Júnior and Spanish actor Rossy de Palma have previously served as Unesco goodwill ambassadors.

Seventeen attended the 13th Unesco Youth Forum held at Unesco’s headquarters in November last year and met with youth representatives from 170 countries. The boy band was assigned a special session, during which they delivered a message of "youth solidarity and education changing the future of youth and the planet."

Seventeen and Unesco have been working on the #GoingTogether campaign to promote the importance of education since August 2022. Pledis Entertainment and the Unesco Korean National Committee built two regional learning centers in East Timor and supported education in Malawi through the campaign.

Boy band Seventeen gives a speech at the 13th Unesco Youth Forum in Paris in November 2023 [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

“Seventeen and Unesco share the same commitment to empowering young people to drive change and address the challenges of our century," Azoulay said. “They also inspire and support young people around the world with their music and positive energy.”

“Following several successful joint actions, I wanted our partnership to take on even greater strategic importance,” Azoulay said. “On June 26, I will be delighted to welcome the 13 members of the group into the family of Unesco goodwill ambassadors.”

To find out more about Seventeen, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]