BTS called ‘most popular, famous band’ by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon: ‘Korean people are very proud’

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon lauded BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. Speaking at the Korea Program Conference at Stanford University, Ban Ki-Moon cited the example of BTS as one of the soft powers of South Korea. He also called the group ‘the most popular and famous band today’. (Also Read | BTS speak about visiting their old apartment often, recall running for 15 hours while filming Run: ‘It was tough’)

During his speech, Ban Ki-Moon said, “Consider BTS, for example, which may be the most popular and famous band today. BTS instantly sells out stadiums around the globe, has boosted the popularity of Korean language studies in faraway countries such as Columbia, Nigeria in many other eastern European countries.”

He also added, “It has led to an entirely new generation of fans wanting to travel to Korea to explore Korean culture on a deeper level. You may find me quite strange today talking not about security issues, but talking about all these issues. But this is the reality of what the Korean people are very much proud of.”

This is not the first time that BTS has been praised by a world leader. Last November, former South Korean President Moon Jae-in congratulated the group on their win at the 2021 American Music Awards. BTS won three awards at the awards show, including Artist of the Year. On Twitter, The Blue House had tweeted, “‘A big congratulations and thanks to BTS for winning the AMAs’. We deliver the message of President Moon Jae-in. @BTS_twt #BTS.” It also shared a note by the President.

As translated by a BTS fan, a part of the note read, “I would like to send congratulations and thank BTS for winning the AMA Grand Prize. Last month, the US global think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), held an unusual conference on the theme of ‘Korea’s soft power’. At the conference, world-renowned scholar Joseph Nye, the founder of the concept of ‘soft power’, praised South Korea for showing the world’s most dynamic soft power by combining unprecedented economic success and vibrant democracy. It means Korean culture is dominating the world, and it is also showing its strength in national character and diplomacy.”

Replying to the tweet, BTS said, “Mr President, thank you for congratulating us on our AMAs win. We also feel a sense of pride regarding the meaningful achievement Korean pop music has made in the global music market. We look forward to our culture and artists capturing the hearts of those all over the world in a greater variety of fields in times to come!”

Currently, BTS is gearing up for the release of their upcoming anthology album Proof. The album will include new as well as old songs such as Born Singer, Run BTS, Yet To Come, Euphoria, Filter, Intro: Persona, Moon, Outer: Ego, Dynamite, Butter and Fake Love among others. The album will release on June 10.