K-pop group Seventeen to become Unesco goodwill ambassadors on June 26
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
K-pop boy band Seventeen were involved in the 13th Unesco Youth Forum in November 2023.
PHOTO: SAYTHENAME_17/INSTAGRAM
Follow topic:
PARIS – K-pop megastars Seventeen will become Unesco goodwill ambassadors from June 26, the United Nations body announced on June 11.
“Seventeen and Unesco share the same commitment to empowering young people to drive change and address the challenges of our century,” said Ms Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in a statement.
“They also inspire and support young people around the world with their music and positive energy,” she added.
Seventeen, the 13-strong South Korean band founded in 2015, were second only to Taylor Swift for global revenue in 2023, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
They also topped the IFPI album charts in 2023 with FML, and have racked up billions of streams online.
They will officially take on their Unesco duties – which involve promoting youth-focused projects around the world – with a ceremony at its Paris headquarters on June 26.
The group have already been working with the organisation less formally and performed at the Unesco Paris office at the 13th Unesco Youth Forum in November 2023.
In 2022, Seventeen launched the initiative #GoingTogether in collaboration with the Korean National Commission for Unesco, which helped establish new educational centres in Timor-Leste and provide educational aid in Malawi.
Other current ambassadors include Brazilian footballer Vinicius, Spanish actress Rossy de Palma, American actor Forest Whitaker and Italian-Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco. AFP
