The K-pop group Seventeen, among the most popular in the world, became a UNESCO “goodwill ambassador” on Wednesday, AFP noted in Paris.
“It is with great humility and emotion that we appear before you for the first time as UNESCO goodwill ambassador for youth,” said Joshua, one of its members. , during a press event at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
“As a youth ambassador, we will spread the power of camaraderie and help build supportive youth communities for the better future we envision,” he continued, announcing a contribution of one million of dollars from the group to Unesco.
“Our partnership with Seventeen will give new impetus, a tremendous boost to our efforts,” said the Director General of UNESCO, Frenchwoman Audrey Azoulay.
The K-pop group will constitute “a fantastic bridge between us, UNESCO, our values, what we represent, our objective of peace, and young people”, she further estimated.
Seventeen, a South Korean group founded in 2015 around thirteen young artists, was the second group to generate the most revenue in the world in 2023, behind American superstar Taylor Swift, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Their songs have been listened to billions of times on the Spotify platform. Their single “Don’t Wanna Cry” has been viewed over 275 million times on YouTube.
Seventeen performed in November 2023 in the large Parisian UNESCO auditorium, a cozy space that they transformed into a dancefloor. The 500 tickets for the event were snapped up in less than an hour.
Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr, Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, American actor Forest Whitaker and Italian-Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco are also UNESCO ambassadors.
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