Watch BTS Address the United Nations With an Emotional Speech About Self-Acceptance

South Korean group BTS, the K-pop phenomenon with an impeccably coordinated fashion sense, attended a meeting focused on youth issues at the United Nations in New York City today, where they took to the podium to deliver a speech about their “Love Myself” campaign, in partnership with UNICEF, which launched last year and is aimed toward ending violence against children and teenagers. Though Kim Namjoon, better known as RM, delivered the speech on behalf of the group, his fellow six band members—V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope—all joined him at the mic, delivering a unified speech about finding self-acceptance that is now going viral on the Internet.

In the six-minute speech, Namjoon specifically spoke of his upbringing in Ilsan, South Korea, and how he struggled to find his true passion and identity while growing up. “I would look up at the night sky and wonder . . . I used to imagine I was a superhero who could save the world,” he said. “In the intro to one of our old songs, there’s a line that says my heart stopped when I was maybe 9 or 10. Looking back, that is when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes.”

He continued, “I stopped looking up at the night sky, the stars. I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I tried to jam myself into the other molds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and listen to the voice of others. No one called out my name and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. Like this, I—we—all lost our names. We became like ghosts. But I had one sanctuary, and that was music.”

BTS fans quickly reacted to the speech on Twitter, where many thanked the group for sharing the message about self-confidence and self-acceptance. Namjoon specifically spoke of the success of the “Love Myself” campaign with his fans, saying he has heard remarkable stories from “all over the world.” The message is not a new idea for BTS, either—they have released several “Love Yourself” albums, all promoting the same idea.

Below, see more of the best soundbites from his speech.

“Even after the decision of joining BTS, there were a lot of hurdles . . . Most people thought we were hopeless, and sometimes I just wanted to quit. Anything that I’ve achieved, it was only possible that I had my other BTS members right by my side, and because of the love and support that our Army fans all over the world made for us.”

“Yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes.”

“I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.”

“I’d like to ask all of you: What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, your gender identity—just speak yourself.”

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