JAKARTA, Indonesia — K-Pop group Super Junior member Choi Siwon has urged the public to conduct meaningful actions to ensure the bright future of the children in the East Asia and the Pacific regions.

Choi, who is Unicef's Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific, said this as he addressed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business and Investment Summit.

In his speech, Choi highlighted Unicef's efforts to help underprivileged children worldwide. However, he said it was now time for countries to take the efforts to address the children's needs to the next level.

"We need to take it a step further. Now is the time to not just think, but to take action," he said.

"Children are our future, and you and your meaningful actions only can change the world. Because we are change makers," he added.

Unicef, or the United Nations Children's Fund, is the only organization working in over 190 countries that could shape government policies, reach the most remote places, and deliver emergency supplies anywhere within 84 hours.

The group is able to vaccinate almost half of the world’s children every year and it has reduced child mortality by 50 percent over the past 20 years.

According to Choi, it was Unicef's mission to make the region a place where every child can grow up healthy, well-nourished, and safe from diseases.

"A region where every child is protected against the devastating effects of climate change, where every child is safe and protected, where every child is learning the skills they need for the future," he said.

"In short, it’s a region where every child can pursue their dreams. We can achieve [this] together through strong social commitment and collective action.," he added.

Invest in children

In his speech, Choi called for continued investment in children, saying it makes ethical and economic sense.

"We know for example that for every $1 invested in the pre-primary education of the youngest children gives society ten times in return. These kinds of investments promote sustainability, resilience, and ultimate long-term prospects for growth for ASEAN. But they need to be made now," he said.

However, Choi lamented that despite progress, there were still children in East Asia and the Indo-Pacific who reached the age of 10 without being able to understand a simple text and that there were still children being exposed to life-threatening diseases.

"Too many children are still completing school without acquiring even basic skills, let alone the important 21st-Century skills required for meaningful employment," he said.

"Children in this region have yet to receive a single dose of vaccine, exposing them to life-threatening illnesses like measles. So many of these boys and girls still live in impoverished, hard-to-reach communities with poor sanitation and unsafe water," he added.

He likewise mentioned that the climate crisis makes things worse by dividing the rich from poor people and pushing the poorest children further into poverty and deprivation.

Despite these, Choi believes that the region can overcome these challenges.

"It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by these challenges. But the good news is that, together, we have the power to change the realities of those girls and boys through strong social commitment, collective action, and the right investments," he said.

The K-pop star said they are using their influence, network, and resources to accelerate change for children, especially in the areas of climate change, health, digital education, and impact investing.

"In this era, there is no shortage of opportunities for us to make a difference for the very people that are the future of our region— our children," Choi said.