K-Pop stars BTS at the White House to speak out against racism
Audio 01:52
V, a member of K-pop group BTS, speaks during the daily briefing at the White House, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Washington.
From left to right Jungkook, Jimin, V, RM, Jin, J-Hope and Suga.
AP - Evan Vucci
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The South Korean group BTS took the opportunity on Tuesday of an invitation by US President Joe Biden to denounce racism against Asian people.
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The seven South Korean K-Pop stars were received at the White House by the American president.
An event very followed in Washington, because the group enjoys a reputation and a planetary frenzy carried by committed songs: depression, excesses of the school system, feminism, consumerism and the fight against discrimination often come up in their texts.
So when South Korean stars take the microphone at the White House, it's to denounce the
systemic racism that targets Asian people
, a few days after a series of killings in the United States.
“
We are devastated by the recent uptick in hate crimes, including hate crimes targeting Asian people
,” said Jimin, one of the seven performers of the iconic K-Pop group, from the stage in the auditorium. White House press.
“
There is nothing wrong with being different.
Equality begins when we reveal and accept our differences
,” adds Suga (Min Yoon-gi), another member of the group, whose words, like those of Jimin, have been translated.
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The seven young men, in dark suits and ties and white shirts, paraded in front of journalists to make very short statements, before being received by the American president.
The briefing then resumed its usual course, in front of a suddenly reduced audience, with the arrival of an economic adviser to Joe Biden who joked: “
I will be able to tell my children that BTS has heated the room for me
”.
From left: Jungkook, Jimin, and RM, members of the K-Pop group BTS, during a speech at the White House in Washington, May 31, 2022. AP - Andrew Harnik
Successful communication
With this visit by
the most influential boy band in the world
in recent years, the American president wanted to discuss
the "inclusion and representation
" of Asian people, but also "the racist crimes and discrimination suffered by Asians, who have become increasingly important topics in recent years, ”details a statement from the White House last week.
BTS' invitation comes as part of a series of events celebrating the Asian community in the United States and speaking out against the racism they face.
Nothing has filtered from the meeting with Joe Biden but it is a nice shot from his communication team.
From the height of his 79 years, the American president has launched since his arrival at the White House a massive offensive towards the young public, through collaborations with a number of stars and influencers or influencers just a few months before the mid-term elections. .
(and with AFP)
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United States
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