On October 8, Thursday, it was announced that the superstar K-pop boy group BTS has won the "Van Fleet Award" for their help in the development of U.S.-South Korea relations.
The Korea Society, a U.S.-South Korea relations non-profit organization, held their annual Van Fleet Awards ceremony on October 7 through an online gala. The boys were given the prestigious award there.
The Van Fleet Award was established in 1995 and was named to honor General James Van Fleet. James Van Fleet was a commander of the eighth U.S. army and had participated in the Korean award. The Van Fleet award is given annually to groups or individuals that have helped or contributed to the development of U.S.-South Korean relations.
President Moon, the President of South Korea, delivered a keynote speech. The United States ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Harry Harris, the Korean wife of the Maryland governor Larry Hogan, and the former United States ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert were all present and delivered congratulatory messages.
As mentioned previously, BTS was awarded the Van Fleet Award. The group has been praised for their global influence thanks to their music and are known internationally as K-pop's biggest boy group. As the boys continue to promote in the United States, they help promote South Korea's national reputation and prestige in the country, bettering the relationship between South Korea and the United States.
In a thank-you message for the rewards, BTS said, "We realize the immense power of connection and unity in every moment. We hope that our music will be a connecting link for many people all over the globe to understand and love each other well."
The boys emphasized the importance of solidarity, saying, "As members of the world, we must understand each other and stick in solidarity to pursue happiness together."
Other than BTS, the U.S. Korean War veterans and the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also awarded the Van Fleet Award. Congratulations to all the awardees!
ABOUT BTS:
BTS is a seven-member South Korean boy group that debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The group is composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. The group is known for being active in their creative process, co-writing and co-producing most of their music. They are also known for their lyrics, which often touch on social and personal commentary, and usually speaks about mental health, loss, loving oneself, and individualism. Their work also tends to reference literature and psychological concepts.
BTS is the best-selling artist in South Korean history and their album, "Map of the Soul: 7" is South Korea's best-selling album in history. From 2017 to 2019, BTS was included in TIME Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World". They are dubbed as the "Princes of Pop" by the media outlet. Forbes Korea named BTS as the most influential celebrities in South Korea in 2018 and 2020. Fores has named BTS as one of the world's top-earning celebrities. They are the first South Korean act to have a number one hit single on the Billboard 100 charts with "Dynamite".
