-Newzmirror Bureau
BTS, a South Korean boy band, made history yesterday when they became the first K-pop group to visit the White House since President Biden took office in January. BTS had an hour-long meeting in the Oval Office with President Biden, who is a self-proclaimed “fan” of the K-pop band. The meeting, which was closed to the media, focused on the importance of diversity and other related issues. “Diversity is key to our success as a nation,” said President Biden during a press conference following the meeting. “And I’m honored that BTS took the time out of their busy schedule to visit the White House.” BTS also released a statement after their visit to the White House. “It was an honor to meet with President Biden today,” said BTS member Jimin. “We talked about diversity, tolerance and other important topics.” BTS is one of the most popular boy bands in South Korea, and they are often referred to as “the Korean Beatles.”
Full Script of the Daily Briefing:
RM (ENG): Thank you Karine for your kind words. Hi, we are BTS. It is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity. Jin (KOR): Today is the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month. We joined the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate. Jimin (KOR): We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes including anti-Asian hate crimes. To put a stop on this and support the cause, we’d like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again. j-hope (KOR): We could be here today thanks to ARMY, our fans worldwide who have different nationalities and cultures, and use different languages. We are truly grateful. Jung Kook (KOR): We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches many people worldwide, transcending barriers across the board including language and culture. We believe music is always a wonderful unifier of all things. SUGA (KOR): It’s not wrong to be different. Equality begins with opening up and embracing all differences. V (KOR): Everyone has his or her own history. We hope today is one step forward to respecting and understanding each and every one as a valuable person. RM (ENG): Lastly, we thank President Biden and the White House for giving us this important opportunity to speak about the important causes and remind ourselves of what we can do as artists. Thank you very much. |