

We have become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of albums.īut I am still an ordinary, twenty-four-year-old guy. I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling. I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. There was a small voice in me that said, ‘Wake up, man, and listen to yourself!” But it took me a long time to hear music calling my name.Įven after making the decision to join BTS, there were hurdles. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. No one called out my name, and neither did I. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others. I tried to jam myself into moulds that other people made. I stopped looking up at the stars at night. Looking back, that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. In an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, “My heart stopped…I was maybe nine or ten.” I used to imagine that I was a superhero, saving the world.

I would look up at the night sky in wonder and dream the dreams of a boy. I spent a happy childhood there, and I was just an ordinary boy. It’s a beautiful place, with a lake, hills, and even an annual flower festival. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea. I would like to begin by talking about myself. We truly have the best fans in the world! Our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and enthusiasm. Last November, BTS launched the “Love Myself” campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that “true love first begins with loving myself.” We have been partnering with UNICEF’s #ENDviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. It’s an incredible honour to be invited to an occasion with such significance for today’s young generation. My name is Kim Nam Jun, also known as RM, the leader of the group BTS.

Secretary General, UNICEF Executive Director, Excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world.
