K-pop act Seventeen has become UNESCO’s new Goodwill Ambassador. The Pledis Entertainment boy group will accept the role in an official ceremony at UNESCO Paris in June 2024.
Seventeen previously attended the UNESCO Youth Forum in November 2023 to deliver a message of hope. The K-pop group emphasized the importance of their friendship and how the bond between members has helped one another stand tall while facing any obstacles.
Seungkwan started the historic speech by saying: “As my friends and I played in the ocean and the oreum (volcanic cone) hills on Jeju Island, we talked about our dreams with each other. The little boy who dreamed of a big future from that World Heritage island now stands before you at the UNESCO headquarters today.”
A year later, Seventeen is preparing to deliver another speech as the official Youth Ambassador of UNESCO GOODWILL. The self-producing K-pop act is the first Korean group to earn this position.
Date of Seventeen’s UNESCO Paris Ceremony as K-pop act becomes the ambassador of Youth
Seventeen’s UNESCO Paris ceremony will occur on June 26 at 10 a.m. CET, 5 p.m. KST, 9 a.m. BST, and 4 a.m. ET. Fans can watch the ceremony on the official YouTube channel of UNESCO worldwide.
The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador position is significant, and a star-studded list of global celebrities previously held it. Famous opera singer and conductor Plácido Domingo, Real Madrid footballer Vinícius Júnior, and Spanish actress Rossy de Palma are some of the notable members who were the Youth ambassadors in the past.
Following the legacy, Seventeen is ready to take on the new responsibility. The K-pop stars have a long-formed connection with UNESCO. Their strong message of hope, positivity, resilience, and unity prompted UNESCO to collaborate with Seventeen in 2022.
Since then, the group has promoted the #GoingTogether campaign with UNESCO and also attended the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum last year. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay gushed over Seventeen’s impact in the world, saying, “SEVENTEEN and UNESCO share a common goal of empowering youth to lead change and address contemporary issues.”
Azoulay added: “SEVENTEEN has inspired and supported young people worldwide with their music and positive energy. After several successful collaborations, we are thrilled to formalize our partnership.”
She concluded the statement by sharing the mutual excitement similar to fans looking forward to June 26 to witness another proud chapter of the K-pop trendsetters.
