The boy band SEVENTEEN will make a speech next month at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, a first for a K-pop act. This is one of the official photos from the group's 11th EP "Seventeenth Heaven" released this month. (SEVENTEEN's official Facebook account)

By Kim Seon Ah

The boy band SEVENTEEN will make a speech at UNESCO headquarters in a first for a K-pop act.

Yonhap News and other Korean media on Oct. 27 said the group will take the podium on Nov. 14 at the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris. 

Launched in 2007 and held alongside the UNESCO General Conference, the biennial event attracts youth leaders from the global cultural body's 194 member states to share their views and experiences on issues facing the younger generation and seek solutions.

In a special session at the forum, SEVENTEEN will deliver the message that "youth solidarity and education change the future of young people and the world." Based on the personal experiences of each member, the group will also suggest roles for youth to play for sustainable development.

Since August last year, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU) has run the #GoingTogether Campaign with SEVENTEEN in partnership with the boy band's management agency Pledis Entertainment to promote the importance of education to global youth.

"In a globalized reality where educational opportunities taken for granted can be a lifelong dream for some, SEVENTEEN's voice urging a better future through education will resonate with youth around the world," KNCU Secretary-General Han Kyung-koo said.

sofiakim218@korea.kr