“Life goes on, let’s live on!” – BTS deliver empowering speech at the 75th United Nations General Assembly

By Monica Yadav -

September 23, 2020 - 8:11 PM IST

Two years after their inspiring speech at the UN General Assembly, the global sensation BTS made an impactful return as the special speaker at the 75th United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2020. Kang Kyung-Wha, the Foreign Minister of South Korea, mentioned BTS and said, “The power of BTS to inspire young and some old people around the world is truly amazing. The hopes they raise among the young must be matched by concerted government action.”

“Life goes on, let’s live on!” – BTS deliver empowering speech at the 75th United Nations General Assembly

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and cancellations of their stadium world tour, BTS found themselves in dilemma just like the rest of the world. But, they ensured to look out for each other, find solace in the smallest of things, found time to work on themselves, their music, spend time with family and friends, and most importantly, encouraged each other and their fans. It was much needed at a time when people are suffering from various difficulties. "BTS will always be there for you!" said the septet in what felt like one of most moving speeches of all time.

[#오늘의방탄] UNICEF with #BTS ????????#BTSLoveMyself #ENDviolence #UNGA75 #BTSxUnitedNations pic.twitter.com/etjDyVnAa4
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) September 23, 2020

Here are some of the highlights:

RM:

"Our tomorrow may be dark, painful, difficult. We might stumble or fall down. But the stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. And if the stars are hidden, we’ll let moonlight guide us. If even the moon is dark, let our faces be the light that helps us find our way."

JIN:

“Thinking about the future and trying hard are all important. But cherishing yourself, encouraging yourself and keeping yourself happy is the most important."

SUGA:

"Life became simple, maybe for the first time. It was a precious time, unwanted but welcome. I'm used to an entire world shrinking in an instant. When I'm on the tour, I stand in bright lights and loud cheers but at night back in my room, my world becomes only a few paces wide. The room itself was small, but my world and our world reached far and wide. In this world, we had our instruments, our phones, and our fans."

J-HOPE:

"I don't know who was first. We embraced all these emotions and the seven of us began to make music together. This is where the music came from and it made us honest. Our lives are unpredictable. We don't know all the answers. I knew where I wanted to go but now how to get there. All I did to get here was to trust ourselves, do my best, and love what I do."

JIMIN:

"I felt hopeless. Everything fell apart. I could only look outside my window. I could only go to my room. Yesterday I was singing and dancing with fans around the world, and now my world has shrunk to a room. And then, my Friends took my hand, we comforted each other and talked about what we could do together."

V:

“I was frustrated and depressed, but I took notes, wrote songs, and thought about who I was. I thought, 'If I give up here, then I’m not the star of my life' — this is what an awesome person would do”.

JUNGKOOK:

“We live an uncertain today, but really, nothing’s changed. If there’s something that I can do — if our voice can give strength to many people — then that’s what we want to do and that’s what we’ll keep doing.”

They ended their speeches by motivating everyone - "Life goes on. Let's live on!"

Here's the full speech:

BTS began working with UNICEF since 2017 with its Love Myself campaign. In their 2018 speech during UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited at the 73rd UN General Assembly, BTS took the center stage as RM spoke about why it is important to 'speak yourself'. "After releasing our 'Love Yourself' albums, and launching the LOVE MYSELF campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world how our message helped them overcome the hardships in life and start loving themselves. Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility," he said.

"So let’s take all one more step. We have learned to love ourselves so now I urge you to speak yourself. I’d like to ask all of you. What is your name? What excites you and makes your heartbeat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you from, your skin colour, your gender identity – just speak yourself. Find your name, find your voice by speaking yourself," RM added.