BTS, the South Korean boy group, has gained the entire world’s attention for its repeatedly charting songs and has garnered millions of fans worldwide. BTS, short for “Bangtan Boys,” has had the same kind of success as other iconic groups like The Beatles and The Jackson 5, according to the Washington Post.
While they are mostly known for their loyal fanbase, exciting performances, and addictive songs, BTS has directed their fame to making more meaningful change than one might expect from a boy group. Since their debut in 2013, many of their songs have addressed serious topics like coming of age, mental health, and other social commentaries. One such song, “No More Dream,” addresses teenagers who question their purpose and dreams.
One of BTS’s largest ongoing projects, in collaboration with UNICEF, is the Love Myself campaign. According to the campaign’s website, they became “the first artists in Korea to raise funds as part of a social fund for global campaigns and to donate a portion of their income from album sales and 100% of all profits from the sale of goods to numerous social programs.’. In 2017, they started the project with a bang by using BTS airships to tease their campaign. BTS and their entertainment company HYBE Labels immediately donated 500,000 KRW, and continued selling various merchandise items and emojis to raise 3.6 million USD, according to a UNICEF press release on the 6th of October, 2021. They have also launched a joint campaign, called #ENDviolence, to encourage preventative measures that protect teenagers from in-school violence. Their campaign promotes kindness in an effort to make schools safer, as seen on UNICEF’s #ENDviolence page.
BTS has recently made headlines for speaking at the 76th session of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) on September 20, 2021. BTS accompanied South Korean President Moon Jae-in as a “special presidential envoy for future generations and culture” to represent the country of South Korea on a global stage. Their speech was heavily focused on COVID-19, what the pandemic has taken away from young people, and the impending sense of doom due to climate change. They expressed hope for the younger generation, saying that they should not be referred to as the “lost generation” due to COVID-19, but instead as the “welcome generation” because of their openness to change. They had also spoken at the 73rd session of the UNGA in 2018, encouraging young people to “speak [themselves].”
BTS has grabbed the global spotlight in the last few years, and they have decided to use this power to inspire and protect young people.
Sources:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/k-pop-band-goes-viral-with-un-plea-to-young-people/10301934
https://www.love-myself.org/eng/journey-of-love-myself/
https://www.love-myself.org/eng/about-endviolence/
https://www.unicef.org/end-violence/kind-notes
