The K-pop girl group Aespa on July 5 speaks at the 2022 High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development hosted at United Nations headquarters in New York. (SM Entertainment)

The K-pop girl quartet Aespa has urged future generations to take interest in and act for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

The group on July 5 gave a speech on the theme "Next Generation to the Next Level" at the 2022 High-level Political Forum for Sustainable Development hosted by the world body's headquarters in New York.

"The metaverse reflects reality. If our own reality is not sustainable, it would become difficult to sustain the possibilities of the virtual world," member Giselle said.

"Without sustainable ecosystems or equal opportunities for quality living, there will be no real world to be mirrored. The topic of sustainable development is urgent, and we believe that the next generation must support sustainable development goals in order to protect the world that we live in." 

"Aespa will continue to connect with the next generation through music, and we'll work to represent sustainable goals in reality, hence within the metaverse," the group said, concluding the speech with the performance video of its song "Next Level."

Launched in 2016, the forum is attended by all interested parties including government, women, disabled people, labor and business and aims to examine and discuss whether the SDGs are being kept globally.