BTS made history once again as they carried out their first official duty as “Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture,” as appointed by South Korean President Moon Jae In. They stood in front of world leaders at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York, and talked about the younger generation’s experiences during the pandemic.

Serving as the youth’s representative, BTS presented #YouthToday stories through their own creative collages.

Giving more perspective on what the pandemic “took away” from the youth, Jungkook mentioned the canceled important events such as graduations and concert tours, leaving a hole in our hearts and a gap in our lives.

They went on to discuss other pressing matters, such as taking the environment for granted. Suga and Namjoon explained that despite everyone mourning for the earth, the youth is out here looking for ways to extend its life for future generations.

Refusing to call the youth as the lost generation, Jimin and Jin talked how the “welcome generation” adapts to the lockdowns and quarantines. They showed the UN that young people are finding new ways to get the most out of this new normal.

The group also highlighted the importance of getting vaccinated, with J-Hope announcing that all the members got their shots while V/Kim Tae Hyung explained that vaccines can help in making face-to-face events happen again. A reassuring message for the vaccine-hesitant population.

Ending the speech, the group showed a special video of “Permission to Dance,” where they performed the song at the UN Headquarters.


BTS performs Permission to Dance at the UN Headquarters

And the internet went wild, of course.

Not wavering in their support for BTS, ARMYs have flooded the speech’s livestream. Just check out the live chat replay from the UN’s channel.

Everyone applauded and felt proud of the group’s words.

Even the world leaders, apparently…

Maybe they felt proud of themselves, too.

Bonus feels for letting them speak their powerful voice in their mother tongue!

This isn’t the group’s first time at the United Nations Headquarters. Back in 2018, they went in front of world leaders (and the whole world, tbh) to speak about self-love and bullying within the youth. BTS broke barriers by being the first K-Pop idols to be at the UN and by being vocal about these very relevant topics in South Korea.

BTS isn’t a stranger to speaking up and supporting advocacies. Since their 2013 debut, the group stood out by pouring their hearts and sending strong social messages in their lyrics. Off-stage, the boys never stopped in showing support and generosity to causes like Black Lives Matter, Anti-Asian Hate, and their Love Myself campaign.

Featured image: BTS at the 76th United Nations General Assembly. Photo: United Nations/YouTube.