By Israa Mohamed

The K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN has taken to the podium at UNESCO headquarters to share their dreams and growth stories with youth around the world.

The group on Nov. 14 was the lone speaker at a special session of the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris. Twelve of the act's 13 members attended the event, with S.Coups out due to injury.

SEVENTEEN is the first K-pop act to speak solo at a special session of the forum.

Seungkwan, Jun, Woozi, Mingyu, Joshua and Vernon spoke on behalf of the group. 

Speaking first, Seungkwan said, "As my friends and I played in the ocean and the oreum (volcanic cone) hills on Jeju Island, we talked about our dreams with each other," adding, "The little boy who dreamed of a big future from that World Heritage island now stands before you at the UNESCO headquarters today."

"We were teachers to one another," Chinese member Jun said. "We may not be perfect as individuals, but together, we're the best team."

"We make sure every member's thought and feeling are accounted for," said Woozi, who plays the role of the group's producer. "I'm certain that every one of you knows a few things about the difficulty of reaching a consensus." 

"Trying to find the best ways to foster a better society while accommodating everyone's opinions is no small feat. But we have learned firsthand that diverse voices lead to impactful solutions." 

Mingyu told about giving 13 goats as gifts to children in Tanzania a year after his debut. He said he later received a letter and photo from a child in the African country saying, "I'll take care of this goat. For my dreams." 

"We want to make sure that no young people no matter who they are or where they're coming from, ever give up on their dreams or get discouraged," he added.

Joshua mentioned the Going Together Campaign underway with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO since August last year to raise awareness of the importance of education. "Education can change a person, expand that person's dreams and change the world," he said. "Let's learn and go together."

To conclude the speech, Vernon introduced lyrics from the five songs the group went on to perform after the speech, quoting, "Let's open a new future together" and "If we are together, you and I are never losing our walk, you and I, we will be walking straight." 

After its speech, SEVENTEEN performed "World," "Darl+ing," "Headliner," "God of Music" and "Let's Go Together."

The K-pop boy band SEVENTEEN on Nov. 14 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris perform at the UNESCO Youth Forum.

ess8@korea.kr