Breaking new ground, K-pop powerhouse SEVENTEEN recently delivered an inspiring message of unity and optimism at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris. This marked a historic moment as SEVENTEEN became the first K-pop act to address an entire session at a significant UNESCO event, held alongside the UNESCO General Assembly.

On Tuesday, November 14, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, several SEVENTEEN members – Seungkwan, Jun, Woozi, Mingyu, Joshua, and Vernon took the stage during a special session. 

Apart from their impactful speeches, the group also performed their uplifting hits such as “WORLD,” “Darl+ing,” “Headliner,” and “God of Music.” Notably, they also surprised fans with an English version of their song “Together,” which only had Korean and Japanese versions before. 

SEVENTEEN looks back on their career

 As the first speaker, member Seungkwan reflected on his journey from a boy with big dreams on a World Heritage island to standing before the UNESCO headquarters. 

Next is Jun, who talked about the group’s camaraderie. Speaking in his native language Chinese, he shared how they overcame distance to become a united team facing challenges together. “Because we were so far from each other, I never imagined that we could grow to become friends with our hands joined for all challenges to come,” he said. “We may not be perfect as individuals, but together, we are the best team SEVENTEEN.”  

Meanwhile, Woozi, who served as the group’s producer and vocal unit leader, recalled how many doubted them when they were starting. “Others liked to say that 13 members was too many for a boy band. Many also believed our average age, which was 17 at the time of our debut, made us too young. That we wouldn’t get along, and that we would have a hard time finding and building our original sound. But we were too young to be discouraged.” 

Following that, he spoke about the gradual formation of SEVENTEEN’s identity through shared passions and strengths. Moreover, he also  expressed gratitude and acknowledged each member’s contributions individually.

On the group’s advocacy 

As for the remaining half of SEVENTEEN speakers, the members talked about the initiatives that their group had for certain causes. 

For instance, Mingyu, in his address, highlighted the group’s commitment to philanthropy. During their first anniversary, he recalled that they donated 13 goats to children in Tanzania with the money they earned as a group.

Since then, he shared that the group had been making annual donations. “We do it because we want to make sure that no young people, no matter who they are, or who they’re coming from, ever give up on their dreams or get discouraged,” he said. 

Meanwhile Joshua discussed SEVENTEEN’s collaboration with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and the #GoingTogether campaign. In his speech, he recognized the crucial role of their fans, CARATs, in supporting educational initiatives. Moreover, he hoped that their group’s actions through UNESCO would inspire young people globally. 

To wrap up the session, Vernon introduced the songs performed at the forum using lyrics from SEVENTEEN’s discography. Through this, he expressed their hope that their stories and music would resonate with the audience.

Following their appearance at the UNESCO Youth Forum, their fans quickly took to social media to express how proud they are of SEVENTEEN. Additionally, UNESCO HQ also recorded their largest-ever crowd for Youth Forum ahead of the K-pop group’s appearance. 

Featured image: SEVENTEEN makes history at UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris. Credit: Twitter/SEVENTEEN