Korean President Moon Jae-in met K-pop superstars BTS on Sept. 14 to give them their appointment papers as his special envoy.
Last July, Moon appointed BTS as Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture.
BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook went to Cheong Wa Dae, or Blue House, the official office and residence of President Moon located in Seoul, for their appointment ceremony. The event was held at Chungmusil, the dining hall of the main building.
After conferring the letters of appointment to BTS, Moon gave them their diplomatic passports and fountain pens as gifts.
According to Korean media, after the commemorative photo was taken, J-Hope looked at Moon and gave him two thumbs up that caused attendees to burst into laughter.
Moon and BTS will be in New York to attend the UN General Assembly and they will be at the second meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals Moment (SDG Moment) of the Decade of Action on Sept. 20. BTS will speak during the session and a video of their performance will be played, according to Yonhap News.
According to the UN website, “As the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and major challenges to progress across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the SDG Moment will seek to reinforce the continued relevance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build momentum in advance of major summits and intergovernmental meetings.”
The SGD Moment will also “highlight urgent actions needed to ensure COVID-19 response and recovery efforts are equitable, inclusive and accelerate the transition to sustainable development” and “demonstrate that transformative change at scale is possible between now and 2030.”
A draft program of the SDG Moment meeting showed an “Interlude performance by Special Guest” at 10 a.m.
"As BTS has delivered messages of comfort and hope to the entire world, its attendance at the U.N. General Assembly this time 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," said Cheong Wa Dae in a statement.
According to the Blue House last July, BTS’ appointment as special envoy is in line with Korea’s aim to lead the global agenda for future generations, such as sustainable growth, and expand diplomatic power in line with Korea's elevated status in the international community.
The appointment of a special envoy is part of public diplomacy and to enhance Korea’s image of leading global issues through collaboration with private experts.
