K-pop band BTS delivers 'message of hope' at 75th U.N. General Assembly

[September 24, 2020]  By Aleksandra Michalska

NEW YORK (Reuters) - South Korean K-pop band BTS delivered a "message of hope" in a pre-recorded video posted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday as part of the 75th U.N. General Assembly.

In the video, the band members shared their own struggles with coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in English and Korean, and encouraged fans to stay positive.

"Let us reimagine our world," said BTS leader RM. "It might feel like it's always night and we'll always be alone, but the night is always darkest before the first light of dawn."

"If our voices can give strength to people, then that's what we want and that's what we'll keep on doing," band member Jungkook said in his native language.

BTS recently became the first Korean act to debut at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart after their first English-language song, "Dynamite," logged nearly 34 million U.S. streams and 300,000 sales in its first week, the biggest digital sales week for any artist in nearly three years.

UNICEF oversees humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Richard Chang; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

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