aespa’s English speech at the UN 2022 High Level Political Forum for sustainable development
Group aespa (under SM Entertainment) appeared as a global speaker representing future generations at the UN 2022 High Level Political Forum for sustainable development (HLPE).
aespa attended the opening section of the 2022 HLPE held at 9 AM on July 5th (local time) at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York. They delivered a speech under the theme of “Next Generation to the Next Level” as well as a message encouraging interest and practice in sustainable development goals.
This forum, which began in 2016, is a place where not only the government but also interested parties such as women, disabled people, workers, civic groups and companies gather to review and discuss whether Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are being well observed by each country. It is the first face-to-face event since 2019 due to COVID-19 distancing.
Suriya Chindawongse, vice president of the UN Economic and Social Council in charge of sustainable development, talked about aespa, “We can learn lessons from aespa, the K-pop group that is here today as a representative of younger generations. They make 4 different voices into one harmony through great songs and choreography.” He also attracted attention by explaining this forum’s topic through quoting aespa’s words such as “All (voices should be heard)“, “Equity and empowerment“, “Sustainability and synergy“, “Planet and people” and “Architecture“.
Giselle, who was the speaker at the forum, said: “I am so honored to be invited here today. aespa is a group that crosses the real and virtual worlds. Our 4 members exist in the real world, and our 4 avatar members exist in the metaverse. Together, we are often referred to as ‘Metaverse Girl Group’.” The female idol began her speech in fluent English.
aespa is a representative of the MZ generation and a girl group with a metaverse worldview with their avatar members ‘ae’, while metaverse is an infinite area that transcends all boundaries, including reality, virtual, time, space, genre, and generation. In the current era where interest in the metaverse is accelerating, the question “Are you making that much effort in the real world?” and the issue of sustainable development is raised.
Giselle then continued, “The metaverse world is a world that reflects reality. Without a sustainable global ecosystem and equal opportunities for quality life, there will be no real world that the metaverse world can reflect on. Therefore, it is important for the next generation to fully support the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Finally, aespa expressed their ambition, saying: “We, aespa, will strive to communicate with the next generation through music and promote goals for sustainable development in both the real world and in the metaverse.” Karina then wrapped up the speech with a thank you and an announcement of their performance “Next Level”.
After finishing the speech, aespa showcased a performance video of their hit song “Next Level” at the forum site, and received great responses for their dynamic yet powerful presence.
aespa will release their second mini-album “Girls” simultaneously in Korea and the US on July 8th, and will be the first Kpop girl group to appear at the “’Good Morning America(GMA) Summer Concert Series 2022”.
Source: daum
