It’s really an amazing pleasure to have the President of Korea with us here today, President Moon, on a very important anniversary [of the Republic of Korea joining the UN]. But we’re here with BTS, your Special Envoys for Future Generations and Culture. Why are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) important to you and also to the world? Well like this pandemic, we’re faced with a variety of challenges and difficulties that we need to surmount so we understand the SDGs can be goals that we can work together globally, locally, in civil society; 17 Goals that we need to meet together. So why, you asked, do we feel that they are important? We are today’s generation as well as the future generations, we still have our lives ahead of us. Therefore the SDGs strike a balance between today’s generation and tomorrow’s generation in order to achieve equal benefits for all. Since we are part of today’s generation
and tomorrow’s generation, we understand the importance of the SDGs
and we feel a great responsibility. As special presidential envoys, one of the SDGs is
about racism and hate speech, so we have already spoken through our social media to raise awareness of its importance as well. Thank you so much for doing the Keep the Promise campaign and calling out hate speech. I think your messages are just the opposite. They’re about love, and they’re about self-love. What inspired you, President Moon, to appoint BTS as your Special Envoys and also to bring them here to attend this SDG Moment with them? And just also what are your expectations for what they will do as Special Envoys? Madame Under-Secretary-General, thank you. I’d like to first touch upon the importance of sustainable development. I believe that the future is actually held in the hands of future generations and sustainable development. If we fail to deliver it now, I think the burden and the sacrifice will have to be placed on the shoulders
of the future generations. That’s why it is important for future generations to speak up for the achievement of the SDGs and more actively participate in the process of implementing the SDGs. And BTS obviously are the greatest artists,
the best artists, of our time, and they have been conveying this message of unity and hope through their music even to the younger people grappling
with the COVID-19 pandemic. And I believe that they are a very special group in the sense that they are returning the love they receive
from their fans all over the world through spreading this positive influence to all. Therefore, I believe that there is no better candidate than BTS that can represent and speak up for younger generations. And I believe that they can draw out more participation from the younger generation throughout the process of SDG implementation. So we have very much high expectations for BTS to deliver in terms of implementing the SDGs. Thank you for this amazing music video that you just showed in the General Assembly Hall today. This isn’t your first visit to the United Nations but this was really, really special. And we’re going to be – you recorded it from one in the morning until into the early hours of Sunday. Some amazing video editor put it together, and it’s out there in the world and it’s going to really bring the world into the United Nations. Thank you for that. Jimin, what are your impressions on your second visit to the UN? I believe this is our second visit. Including our online address, this is our third visit to the UN. But, you know, this is not the first time here but I’m still very nervous. I’ve got the shakes. But it’s an overwhelming honour to be invited here. And also we feel, all together, a great sense of responsibility in being invited here as the special presidential envoys. We received answers from the future generation
to the questions that we posed, and we did our best to transmit or share
these answers to the rest of the world. So yeah, I have to say thank you so much from us
for the opportunity to do so. Thanks so much, Jimin. Thank you. I can’t believe you’re nervous because you perform in front of so many people and have millions of fans. But I guess that means we’re all human, right? So my next question is for j-hope. What is your message or what was your message today to all of your fans – I think I read there’s something like 90 million around the world, probably even more, your ‘Army’ – and what are the actions that you would like them to take? After listening and receiving opinions from
the future generation I was able to see that despite the pandemic,
people were staying positive, saying they did not lose sight of their dreams and their passion despite the difficulties that they were facing. And yes, we’re not the lost generation,
we are the welcome generation. So let’s join hands together and work together
so that we can build a better tomorrow. Let’s go! Thank you. I love that. Welcome generation. Thank you so much. President Moon, the Republic of Korea is the first
and so far the only country in the world to transition from being one of the poorest countries in the world to having an advanced economy and to being a donor nation and this just in a few decades. Why are the Sustainable Development Goals in this context important to you, even as a country that has overcome such poverty and economic hardships? Thank you for your great questions. Sustainable development goes beyond a simple economic development. It means a balanced development that encompasses not only economic growth but also social integration and the sustainability of the environment
at the same time. And I think that is our shared goal that must be persistently pursued by both developing and developed countries. And as you have heard, have stated, Korea has escaped absolute poverty and grown into a strong economy and stable democracy in just half a century, having joined the ranks of the developed countries now. Yet, that does not mean that we are without challenges. Although we are working very hard, elder poverty is still very high in Korea and inequalities and polarization in terms of income and assets are severe. And women face many barriers at the workplace and there is a glass ceiling hampering
their development as well. And what is worse is that the COVID-19 pandemic has actually exacerbated these disparities. And I believe that is why the SDGs still hold relevance in Korea and the ‘leave no one behind’ – the core principle embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – corresponds with my government’s policy goal to build
a people-centred, innovative and inclusive country. Thank you, President Moon. I heard in your speech to the General Assembly – well, to the SDG Moment just now; I think you’re speaking later in the week to the General Assembly, but in your speech, you mentioned ‘leave no one behind’ as a very important theme but you also spoke of other achievements that you, even during this pandemic, have been able to work on that are linked to the SDGs. I think one was climate. Perhaps there are others. Even during the pandemic, what has Korea been able to do to work towards the SDGs? Korea has been praised as one of the model countries in responding to COVID-19 but still the vulnerable groups, small business owners and the self-employed had to suffer, even in Korea. And what is worse is that we are witnessing growing inequalities in terms of childcare and education between those who can afford to do it in the pandemic and those who can’t do it. So what we’re trying to do as Korea is seeking to
reinforce inclusiveness with a view to achieving a recovery that reduces these disparities. And through expansionary fiscal policy, we have strengthened support for vulnerable groups, small business owners and the self-employed, and we doled out disaster relief funds to pretty much everyone in Korea seeking to recover from COVID-19 all together. Korea is also working closely with the international community in overcoming the pandemic. We have shared infectious disease equipment as well as our experiences and technology in curbing this virus with 125 different countries, and we also committed a $200 million contribution to the COVAX facility as well. And we are currently producing four different types of COVID vaccines and supplying them all over the world. And by becoming one of the global vaccine hubs, we will strive to ensure that more vaccines globally are rolled out in a more equitable manner. And in terms of climate response, we have shut down domestic coal power plants earlier than scheduled and we also completely stopped public financing for new overseas coal power plants at the same time. In order to help the developing countries cope
with the climate crisis. we have expanded quite significantly the climate-related ODA [official development assistance] so as a country that has developed from a poor nation to an advanced country, we are helping developing countries to better adapt to climate change. Thank you very much, Mr. President, and thank you very much, BTS, for all you’re doing to make this world a better place. And thank you for connecting your message to the messages of the United Nations, which is also just trying to make this world much more livable, much more humane and much more just. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.
