It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Korea’s biggest band:
- A speech for UNICEF at the United Nations on 24 September.
The speech, by the band’s leader Kim Namjun (aka RM), ended as follows:
Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many more fears, but I’m going to embrace myself as hard as I can and I’m starting to love myself, gradually, just little by little.
What is your name? Speak Yourself.
Full text available here.
- A feature in Time magazine in which they were included in the listing of Next Generation Leaders on 10 October;
- Two sold-out concerts in London‘s o2 Arena on 9 and 10 October (LKL review here)
- An appearance on the on of the UK’s most popular TV shows
In front of an enthusiastic audience – including some of BTS’s loyal ARMY – they bantered with the host Graham Norton, got given a shirt by Whoopie Goldberg, and had a “stalkie” taken by Harry Connick Jr.
They also performed IDOL, with some late changes to the line-up: Jimin resting to recover from a muscle strain and Jungkook with stitches in his ankle.
Fans were understandably impressed, with a few select comments from the net as follows:
V must have felt so much pressure having to be in a middle and leading the choreography so many times with Jimin being absent and Jungkook being injured. V did amazingly! Honestly so proud of him!
They carried themselves so well while missing 1 singer and 2 dancers….. it feels different, but they pulled it off. We stan professionals.
I’m crying when Jungkook sing Jimin part but thank you ARMY for cheering our Boys the seven of them missing one for me it’s like losing the whole world so plz Jungkook and Jimin get well soon and all members plz take care of yourself we LOVE U so much
- And performing in the Korea-France Friendship Concert in front of Presidents Moon and Macron on 14 October
These guys sure work hard.
In fact the only downer in a stellar couple of weeks was a somewhat frivolous petition filed on the Blue House website to have the group disbanded. The petition, filed on 25 September, claimed that the band members are “haughty.”
Links:
Photo credits: BBC / Time / Blue House.