namjoon speech

Kim Nam-joon BTS 2018 United Nations Speech Transcript

Kim Nam-joon, the leader of the K-pop band BTS, gave a speech at the United Nations on September 24, 2018. Read the transcript of the speech remarks here.

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Kim Nam-joon: ( 00:10 ) Thank you, Mr. Secretary General, UNICEF Executive Director, and all the Excellencies and distinguished guests from across the world. My name is Kim Nam-joon, also known as RM, the leader of the group BTS. It’s an incredible honor to be invited to an occasion with such significance for today’s young generation. Last November, BTS launched the Love Myself campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that true love first begins with loving myself.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 00:41 ) We have been partnering with UNICEFs #ENDviolence program to protect children and young people all over the world from violence. Our fans have become a major part of this campaign with their action and with their enthusiasm. We truly have the best fans in the world.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 01:01 ) I would like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea. It’s a really beautiful place, with a lake, hills, and even an annual flower festival. I spent a very happy childhood there, and I was just an ordinary boy. I used to look up at the night sky in wonder, and I used to dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a superhero who could save the world.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 01:35 ) In an intro to one of our early albums, there is a line that says, my heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten. Looking back, I think that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars. I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the moulds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and started to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name, and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. We became like ghosts.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 02:38 ) But I had one sanctuary, and that was music. There was a small voice in me that said, “Wake up, man, and listen to yourself.” But it took me quite a long time to hear music calling my real name. Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were a lot hurdles. Some people might not believe, but most people thought we were hopeless. And sometimes, I just wanted to quit. But I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. And I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling like this.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 03:22 ) BTS has become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now, but I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I’ve achieved, it was only possible, that I have 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. Maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all my faults and my mistakes. Tomorrow, I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’ll be me too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 04:33 ) I would like to say one last thing. After releasing our Love Yourself albums and launching the Love Myself campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. So, let’s all take one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to speak yourself.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 05:13 ) 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. Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself.

Kim Nam-joon: ( 05:47 ) I’m Kim Nam-joon, and also RM of BTS. I’m an idol and I’m an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults and I have many more fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself gradually, just little by little. What is your name? Speak yourself. Thank you very much.

Speaker 2: ( 06:25 ) Thank you very much. With so many young fans around the world, it was a pleasure having BTS with us, and I’m thankful that you use your platform and creativity to reach young audiences with positive messages about what it means to be a young person in the world today.

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

By Christian Allaire

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.”

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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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With Third Appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, BTS Continue to Act as a Global Force For Good

The seven-member Korean group addressed the United Nations general assembly and performed "Permission To Dance"

In September of 2018, a 24-year old Kim Namjoon of BTS (often known by his stage name RM) stood before the United Nations General Assembly and delivered a speech in partnership with UNICEF, notecards held in shaky hands. The speech was in English, and the leader of the seven-member Korean group concluded by saying: “I have many faults and I have many more fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself gradually, just little by little. What is your name? Speak yourself.”

Things have changed a bit since then — BTS addressed the UN again virtually in 2020 with all the members giving remarks almost entirely in Korean; today (September 20th), all seven members (RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Jungkook) addressed the assembly in person, and in their native language via translator.

This 2021 address is also markedly different in that BTS’ introduction came from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who recently appointed BTS as the Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture. “The next speakers to the podium [are] probably the artists most loved by people around the world,” he said, a description difficult to dispute when nearly 1 million people tuned into the livestream around the globe to catch the remarks from the seven young men.

The speech wove through the challenges of the pandemic, poverty, the struggles of today’s youth, and combating climate change. The members also mentioned the importance of getting vaccinated with J-Hope confirming that all seven members had received the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of international travel, prompting the BTS ARMY to trend #ARMYVaccinatedToo on Twitter. After J-Hope described the vaccine as a “ticket to meeting fans,” V closed the speech on a hopeful note: “We think the day we can meet again face to face is not far away.”

If anyone is feeling dismissive of the idea of a group like BTS holding a legitimate place at a gathering like the United Nations, they just haven’t been paying attention: looking beyond the fact that this is the group’s third appearance at the assembly, the band has also spent the last eight years focused on acting as a voice for their peers, and their audience has grown with them. While it’s proven time and time again that the BTS ARMY is made up of people across age demographics, genders, and countries of origin, their audience is largely composed of millennials.

RM pointed out that this demographic of young people is being referred to as a “lost generation” due to COVID, with so many people being robbed of experiences in an important time. BTS is not immune to this either — their remarks included mention of the canceled world tour they were meant to embark on mere days before COVID shutdowns began. Despite their commitment to forging ahead with optimism, the members of BTS have also been vulnerable in discussing the feelings of depression and anxiety that are rampant during this time of stagnancy.

As always, though, the group has chosen to frame this struggle through a lens of positivity. “We think that instead of the ‘lost generation,’ a more appropriate name would be the ‘welcome generation.’ Because instead of fearing change, this generation says, ‘Welcome!’ and keeps forging ahead,” said Jin.

Following their remarks, the group shared a pre-recorded performance of their joyful No. 1 song “Permission To Dance” that showed the band moving through the General Assembly Hall and into the lobby before being joined by backup dancers in the courtyard. It’s remarkable that the outdoor performance could have been kept a secret, as it appears it was filmed in New York City over the weekend.

BTS was Consequence ’s 2020 Band of the Year . At the time, it was hard to imagine how they could follow up the explosive success of their truly “dynamite” year, but 2021 has only seen them continue to grow and shine, both musically and as an inimitable global force. The world still feels quite dark, but, as they say in their beloved track “Spring Day,”  BTS is always sure that a brighter morning awaits us.

“I hope we just don’t consider the future as grim darkness. There’s still many pages left in the story about us, and we shouldn’t talk as though the ending’s already been written,” said V. At this time, we don’t know where BTS will go next — but we know the story goes on, with joy and kindness leading the way.

Editor’s Note : Keep up with all things BTS by listening to our Stanning BTS podcast. Also be sure to pick up the new Iconic ARMY Stanning BTS T-shirt .

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BTS Just Delivered a Moving Speech at the UN: Read What They Said Here

On Monday (September 24), South Korean music group BTS made history and joined a list of influential speakers invited to talk at the launch of “Youth 2030: The UN Youth Strategy” and “Generation Unlimited Partnership.”

All seven members of the K-pop group took the floor as  UNICEF’s goodwill ambassadors , but it was group leader RM, born Kim Namjoon, who addressed the floor .

"It is an incredible honor to be invited to an occasion of such significance for today’s young generation," he began. "Last November, BTS launched the ‘Love Myself’ campaign with UNICEF, built in our belief that true love first begins with loving [yourself]...partnering with UNICEF’s end violence program, to protect young children all over the world from violence."

The artist then thanked the group's global fans, the ARMYs, for their tremendous involvement: "And our fans have become a large part of this campaign with their action and with their enthusiasm. We truly have the best fans in the world," RM gushed.

He also went on to speak with fierce conviction about his own journey with self-acceptance. The performer urged young people to love themselves, faults and all, and to speak their true names.

Read the full transcription of RM's United Nations speech, below:

I’d like to begin by talking about myself. I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea. It is a really beautiful place with a lake, hills, and even an annual flower festival. I spent a very happy childhood there, and I was just an ordinary boy. I used to look up at the night sky and wonder, and I used to dream the dreams of a boy. I used to imagine that I was a super hero who could save the world. In an intro to one of our early albums, there’s a line that says, ‘My heart stopped when I was maybe nine or ten.’ Looking back, I think that’s when I began to worry about what other people thought of me, and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the night skies, the stars. I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I just tried to jam myself into the molds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice, and started to listen to the voices of others. No one called out my name, and neither did I. My heart stopped, and my eyes closed shut. So, like this, I, we, all lost our names. We became like ghosts. But I had one sensory, and that was music. There was a small voice inside of me that said, ‘Wake up, man, and listen to yourself.’ But it took me a long time to hear music calling my real name. Even after making the decision to join BTS, there were a lot of hurdles. Some people may not believe, but most people thought we were hopeless. Sometimes I just wanted to quit. But I think I was very lucky that I didn’t give it all up. And I’m sure that I, and we, will keep stumbling and falling like this. BTS has become artists performing in those huge stadiums and selling millions of albums right now, but I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. If there’s anything that I achieved, it was only possible that I have my other BTS members right by my side, and because of the love and support that our ARMY fans all over the world make for us. And maybe I made a mistake yesterday, but yesterday’s me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes. Tomorrow, I might be a tiny bit wiser, and that’ll be me too. These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. 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 say one last thing: After releasing our Love Yourself albums and launching the ‘Love Myself’ campaign, we started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world. How our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. Those stories constantly remind us of our responsibility. So let’s take all one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to speak yourself. 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. Find your name and find your voice by speaking yourself. I’m Kim Nam-joon, and also RM of BTS. I am an idol, and I am an artist from a small town in Korea. Like most people, I’ve made many and plenty mistakes in my life. I have many faults, and I have many more fears, but I’m going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself gradually, just little by little. What is your name? Speak yourself. Thank you very much.

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Bts heartfelt message to young people at unga, from feeling alone to feeling hopeless, they shared their struggles during covid-19 to remind us what binds us. full speech here..

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K-pop band and UNICEF supporters BTS deliver a video message at a high-level side event at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, “Protraction of the COVID-19 Crisis: Mitigating the Impact and Protecting Future Generations.” BTS LOVE MYSELF campaign supports UNICEF’s #ENDviolence campaign.

RM. My name is RM, the leader of the group BTS. Two years ago here, I asked your name. I urged you to let me hear your voice. And I let myself be filled with imagination. As a boy from the small city of Ilsan in Korea, as a young man standing at the U.N. General Assembly, as a global citizen of this world, I imagined the limitless possibilities before all of us, my heart beating with excitement. But COVID-19 was beyond my imagination. Our world tour was canceled, all our plans went awry, and I became alone. I looked up but couldn’t see the stars at night.

JIMIN. I felt hopeless. Everything fell apart. I could only look outside my window, I could only go to my room. Yesterday, I was singing and dancing with fans around the world, and now my world had shrunk to a room. And then, my friends took my hand. We comforted each other and talked about what we could do together.

SUGA. Life became simple, maybe for the first time. It was a precious time, unwanted but welcome. I’m used to an entire world shrinking in an instant. When I’m on tour, I stand in bright lights and loud cheers, but at night back in my room my world becomes only a few paces wide. The room itself was small, but my world and our world reached far and wide. In this world we had our instruments, our phones and our fans.

V. But this time it felt different. It felt lonelier and smaller. Why? I thought for a long time. I thought, maybe because it became harder to imagine. I was frustrated and depressed, but I took notes, wrote songs, and thought about who I was. I thought, “If I give up here, then I’m not the star of my life.” “This is what an awesome person would do.”

j-hope I don’t know who was first. We embraced all these emotions and the seven of us began to make music together. This is where the music came from, and this made us honest. Our lives are unpredictable. We don’t know all the answers. I knew where I wanted to go, but not how I could get there. All I did to get here was trust ourselves, and do my best, and love what I do.

JIN I found again the people I love. The other members, my family, my friends. I found the music I love, and I found myself. Thinking about the future and trying hard are all important. But cherishing yourself, encouraging yourself and keeping yourself happy is the most important. In a world of uncertainty, we must cherish the importance of “me,” “you” and “us”. That’s the message of “Love Myself” we talked about for three years, It’s the message in the lyrics of our song Dynamite: “I’m diamond, you know I glow up”.

JUNG KOOK One night we were working together. Namjoon said he couldn’t see the stars any more, but I saw my face reflected in the window. I saw all of our faces. Our songs became the stories we wanted to tell each other. We live in uncertainty, but really, nothing’s changed. If there’s something I can do, if our voices can give strength to people, then that’s what we want and that’s what we’ll keep on doing.

RM When I start feeling lost, I remember my face in the window, like Jung Kook said. I remember the words I spoke here two years ago. “Love yourself, speak yourself”. Now more than ever, we must try to remember who we are, and face who we are. We must try to love ourselves, and imagine the future. BTS will be there with you. Our tomorrow may be dark, painful, difficult. We might stumble or fall down. Stars shine brightest when the night is darkest. If the stars are hidden, we’ll let moonlight guide us. If even the moon is dark, let our faces be the light that helps us find our way. Let’s Reimagine our world. We’re huddled together tired, but let’s dream again. Let’s dream about a future when our worlds can break out of our small rooms again. It might feel like it’s always night and we’ll always be alone, But the night is always darkest before the first light of dawn.

ALL Life goes on. Let’s live on.

BTS speaks about anti-Asian hate, inclusivity at White House

BTS made their appearance at the White House Tuesday, with nearly 300,000 fans streaming on YouTube, hundreds gathered outside the building and a packed briefing room. 

The megapopular South Korean boy band had a private meeting with President Joe Biden before joining press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to deliver their messages to the cameras. Each of the seven members gave a brief comment, with group leader Kim Nam-joon, known as RM, kicking things off.

“It is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity,” RM said.

On the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month, BTS members said they were there to promote inclusion and talk with Biden about solutions to rising anti-Asian hate incidents. Aside from RM, who spoke in English, each group members’ message was translated from Korean. 

“We join the White House to stand with the AANHPI community and to celebrate,” said Kim Seok-jin, known by stage name Jin.  

“We were devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes, including Asian American hate crimes,” said Park Ji-min, who goes by Jimin. “To put a stop on this and support the cause, we’d like to take this opportunity to voice ourselves once again.” 

The band nodded to their supporters, known as the BTS Army, who span countries and have been described as one of the most powerful fandoms in music. 

“We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches so many people around the world, transcending languages and cultural barriers,” group member Jeon Jung-kook, known mononymously as Jungkook, said. “We believe music is always an amazing and wonderful unifier of all things.” 

BTS members have weighed in on anti-Asian hate in the past, even talking about their own experiences encountering racism during their global tours in a Twitter statement last year.

“We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians,” the statement said. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English.”

Fans posted their favorite moments on social media after the brief appearance. 

“BTS delivering a speech at the White House in their native language and witnessing the world still listened to them is a historic moment for all of us,” one fan tweeted .

Sakshi Venkatraman is a reporter for NBC Asian America.

RM of BTS Is Embracing the Silence

On his debut solo album, Indigo , the South Korean rapper finds meaning within the noise of global stardom.

O ne year ago today , the leader of the world’s biggest pop group stood beneath bright lights and told more than 50,000 fans about his fears. Kim Namjoon, better known by his stage name RM, had guided his fellow BTS members through the vagaries of early-pandemic life —a canceled world tour, delayed music releases and life plans, illness. In an emotional speech during a Los Angeles concert last December, the then-27-year-old South Korean rapper confessed that he’d spent that time worrying about the future. What if their fans abandoned them? What if he lost his abilities as a performer? But, RM said, those concerns had melted away. “I promise that … I’ll be even better when I’m 30, 35, or 40,” he declared, to an eruption of cheers.

Some people might find this curious—a 20-something artist agonizing over his longevity. Since BTS debuted in 2013, though, RM has been highly conscious of the mark he’s wanted to leave on the music world. In addition to writing a sizable chunk of BTS’s discography, he’s put out two solo mixtapes—2015’s RM and 2018’s Mono —that define his style: cerebral, technically complex, introspective, defiant, wordplay heavy. His lyrics grapple with the nature of art, identity, fame, and love. As the group’s leader and only fluent English speaker, he is often at the forefront of their public appearances, whether in TV interviews and award shows or at the United Nations and the White House .

So it’s fitting that his first official solo album is a record that looks backwards. Today, RM released Indigo , which he calls “the last archive of my twenties.” The 10-track project is a musically omnivorous, profoundly collaborative effort that still feels like the work of an auteur—one who’s spent years refining his own sound and thematic obsessions. At its core, Indigo is a work of hip-hop, but RM infuses it with neo-soul, folk, R&B, electronic, and rock. So instinctive is RM’s tendency to work with others that eight tracks feature other artists (including Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Kim Sawol, and Tablo). Listening to this album is like witnessing a person carve his name into the top of a mountain as a way of saying not just I was here , but also I’m glad you made it too .

W hen I spoke with RM on Zoom two weeks ago, he seemed nervous about Indigo ’s impending release: “I just hope that time flies more quickly,” he told me. Yet a calm, earth-toned aura emanated from my screen. His hair was a natural deep-brown, and he wore dark-rimmed glasses and a loose-fitting olive shirt. I was reminded that, despite being a pop star, RM is drawn to slower, more contemplative forms of art and engagement. He’s an avid reader (and literary influencer), a nature lover, and a museum goer, all of which comes through clearly on Indigo . For instance, the album opener was inspired by the Korean painter Yun Hyong-keun, and the second track playfully extends the metaphor of a “still life” to talk about stagnation and momentum. For RM, Indigo is a way of “speaking silence”—essentially, expressing himself truthfully in a way that doesn’t cause chaos or confusion.

“As a star, or as a famous boy-band member … it’s really hard to be honest and frank,” he told me. “People sometimes misunderstand you. Like, ‘You said something really insensitive’ and ‘I hate you’ … Emphasizing silence is really hard, because you have a lot of platforms, like Instagram and Facebook and YouTube; people have their own minds but can still be easily manipulated by algorithms and articles and other people.” In this environment, he said, knowing when to talk and when to remain quiet is even more valuable.

Which explains why he hesitated to say too much about the meaning behind different songs. “These days, I’m thinking that empty space is really important to the audience … to digest the music on their own,” RM said. “So I don’t want to reveal too many intentions.” Because of that, we didn’t talk about why his first words on Indigo are “Fuck the trendsetter”; nor did we dig into his exploration of intimacy on “Closer” and solitude on “Lonely.” But I did ask about the gorgeous lead single, “Wild Flower,” which features the powerhouse vocals of Cho You-jeen, of the rock band Cherry Filter. (“For me, personally, she’s a No. 1 Korean rock star. She’s a legend.”) The song isn’t quite like anything RM has released before; an epic that swirls like a hurricane, it is sincere, pleading, and full of hard-won acceptance. The lyrics set up a memorable contrast between fireworks and what he calls “flowerworks”: The former burn out brilliantly and quickly, whereas flowers can exist humbly and peacefully for much longer.

RM has spent a long time—seven years, to be exact—thinking about this particular metaphor and its intriguing contradictions. He noted that fireworks can draw millions of people who want to witness their beauty for a 30-minute show. (I immediately thought of the displays that concluded many of BTS’s concerts.) The spectacle of “flowerworks,” though, is simpler and more anonymous. “I think of a field with tons of wildflowers that you don’t even know the names of. You just hold the flowers and throw them into the sky, and they come down so suddenly, maybe after five seconds,” he said, an edge of wonder in his voice. “I want to have a life like more of a wildflower.”

In some ways, you could think of his career thus far as a never-ending series of fireworks: several Hot 100 No. 1s , sold-out stadium shows, mammoth album sales, historic firsts , and a slew of both Korean and American music awards. The day before we spoke, BTS received three Grammy nominations: two for their collaboration with Coldplay on the song “My Universe,” and a third for the music video for “Yet to Come,” which RM acknowledged is the group’s first Korean-language track to be nominated. When I asked how he felt about the news, he replied so quietly that I almost didn’t hear: “Never expected it.” He paused, then added, “I think that’s, you know, thanks to Coldplay.” Which sounds like something a wildflower might say.

L ike much of RM’s past solo work, Indigo is autobiographical without being too literal. He’s keenly aware that much of his youth has been captured online in countless videos, photos, and social-media posts. That willingness to connect is part of what BTS’s fans, known as ARMY , love about the group. But eventually, RM had an epiphany about all this self-disclosure: “My whole life was an exhibition,” he told me. “Unconsciously, or maybe consciously, I’ve been exhibiting my life for decades. So [I said], Okay, then let’s make it into a real exhibition .” He thinks the songs on Indigo unify different facets of his life over the past few years, as well as his different personas. “When you think of Piet Mondrian’s [work], all the paintings are titled Composition , right?” he said, referring to the Dutch painter’s abstract pieces. “At some point, I just realized [my identity] is a composition of my own … I want this album to be a composition of everything.”

That desire to create cohesion out of many parts is reflected in Indigo ’s collaborations. RM said that each featured artist added “frequencies of their own,” and that many were “my stars in my youth” whose music he listened to when he was having a hard time. This album will likely serve the same purpose for many of his own listeners in the coming months. In October, BTS’s label, Big Hit, announced that the members are preparing to step back from their career in order to fulfill their mandatory military service under South Korean law, before hopefully reconvening as a group in 2025. Indigo is expected to be among RM’s last full-length releases until his enlistment ends, and in many ways, it plays like a farewell-for-now . But it also sounds like an artist taking a deep breath and feeling out what new experiences and insights his career might bring in five, 10, or 15 years. He already knows how it feels to stand beneath explosions of color and light. Now it’s time for falling petals.

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BTS RM’s Speech At The Military Graduation Ceremony Sparks Heated Debate Among ARMYs

Recently,  BTS members  V and  RM completed their basic training in the military and were selected as among the only six “Elite Graduate Trainees” recognized for their expectational performance in the 27th Recruit Training Regiment.

In some of the videos posted online by family members of other soldiers in the same regiment, the BTS members were spotted receiving awards for this outstanding achievement at the graduation ceremony.

뷔랑 알엠 최정예훈련병으로 뽑혀서 상받는 걸 봐서 공유합니다ㅎㅎ pic.twitter.com/1L8pJMQPEp — 빈짱이 (@jloverbin) January 16, 2024

During the event, RM also delivered a speech through a pre-recorded video message, talking in detail about his experience in the military so far. He began his piece by saying that he had postponed his military enlistment for a long time and, hence, was anxious about many things as he entered his service at a relatively older age.

It’s true that I postponed my enlistment for a long time and felt a lot of anxieties and worries because of enlisting at a fairly older age. Because I entered late, most of my fellow comrades that I shared the dormitory with were young trainees who were about 10 years my junior. — RM

The BTS rapper said that the comprehensive military training made him realize the importance of the defense forces in South Korea, which is a divided state currently in the midst of a ceasefire.

Thanks to the mental strength training, I realized the necessity of the military and the need for basic military training in the Republic of Korea, a divided and armistice country. — RM

Looking back at his training period, RM said that one of the most memorable moments was the night march with his comrades.

I had many experiences that I otherwise couldn’t have been a part of had it not been for the Army Training Center. In particular, the night march I completed a few days ago is the most memorable. As I marched with my comrades all night, we looked at the stars and cheered each other on, and I was able to feel the camaraderie that I had only heard of before. — RM

He also thanked the officers and platoon leaders who led him through the challenging training sessions and made it enjoyable for him.

Thanks to the great officers and platoon leaders, I was able to complete the unfamiliar military training in a rewarding and fun way. — RM

In his concluding lines, RM said that a world without conscription might be ideal, but the current reality of South Korea requires the sacrifice of many to maintain a peaceful environment for its citizens.

It would be ideal to live in a world where no one needed to learn marksmanship, but I realized that the peace that South Korea has enjoyed for over 70 years was thanks to the noble sacrifice and dedicated efforts of many. I will do my best to carry out my duties for the remainder of my military service. — RM

After the graduation ceremony, the video of RM’s speech became a hot topic, and multiple major media outlets even reported on it, stating that RM was said to have volunteered to give this speech. But ARMYs have expressed mixed opinions about it. On the one hand, many were skeptical about the authenticity of it all, even considering the possibility of it being coerced. Most of them pointed out that RM’s worldview, whatever he has shared so far publicly, does not align with the content.

i don’t think namjoon would ever pen a speech like that. never. i do not claim to fully know his thoughts but i think we all agree to know enough that the message was a *coercion* from the govt. — jus (@soowoogyu) January 16, 2024

forcing joon to do the most propaganda speech ever for the 🪖 knowing what he’s said in the past about it and fans just throwing that video around is making me sick… if you see any military content that isn’t coming from the boys themselves block and report and move on please — linds⁷ (@srndpjmtyy) January 16, 2024

Kim Namjoon who was furious in Busan rapping "you can't control my shit". Kim Namjoon whose favorite painting is by an activist turned artist. Kim Namjoon who wrote Spring Day. Kim Namjoon who told us to use BTS to love ourselves. That speech are not his words. Trust BTS. — Mix⁷ | 2SEOK24 💜 🇵🇸 (@MixDrop7) January 16, 2024

On the other, some praised the speech, pointing out that he shared his positive experience with fellow younger trainees to reassure them of the unfamiliar enlistment process.

I don’t see anything wrong with his speech tho? It’s diplomatic, clearly states his stance, yet recognizing the system. The words are just so Namjoon?? https://t.co/Rl3QxXB9gB — prim⁷ (@iritaescentsky) January 16, 2024

in a difficult situation the majority of them had no say in. And he still managed to sneak in some pacifism. Call it what you want, but the intent was most likely to provide comfort to all the young men who are likely facing their first real challenges, far away from home (2/3) — 🌊 a hundred indecisions 🌊 (@ultramarineJoon) January 16, 2024

The way y'all still talking about that speech…. It's like we're not reading the same speech. How is Joon speaking about HIS EXPERIENCE in the military and ending it with his wish that MS wasn't needed, PROPAGANDA? It's him speaking on what he EXPERIENCED😒 — Poppy💙Kim Namjoon's ONLY WIFE💙-REST- (@CrabbieCakes) January 17, 2024

A third group of fans was overall critical of anyone engaging with the content in any capacity, pointing out that the speech was never meant for fans and, hence, should be outside of the boundaries of any debate or discussion.

First of all fuck whoever filmed Namjoon’s speech bc bighit was pretty clear that y’all weren’t supposed to be there. Second of all fuck them for making him do a speech bc of course they know his influence — Tony⁷ 🤍 (@colorfuleutony) January 16, 2024

um… is that video of namjoon giving a speech supposed to be on social media??? bc i’m not fucking sure that it is and i’m not fucking sure that he’d be happy that it’s circulating… — hoseok’s thighs ✨ (@hobihoseokie) January 16, 2024

In light of this current debate, many brought up RM’s old political poetry to put the situation into perspective. You can read more about it here .

BTS’s RM Breaks Silence Amidst ADOR Vs. HYBE Fallout

ADOR’s Min Hee Jin Allegedly Accused Bang Si Hyuk Of Copying Her For BTS

BTS’s Jimin Gains Attention For Youthful Visuals In New Appearance

“They Benefited From BTS” — Min Hee Jin Accused Of Hypocrisy After Criticizing ILLIT Allegedly Capitalizing On NewJeans

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BTS Member RM Cried During Emotional Final "Love Yourself" Show

By Sara Delgado

BTS is no stranger to heartwarming moments — from soul-stirring singles and candid conversations to moving fan moments — but the septet certainly kicked things up a notch in their latest concert.

On October 29, the Bangtan Boys wrapped up their Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour in Seoul. The tour, which they kicked off back in May at the Rose Bowl in L.A. as a continuation of their 2018 Love Yourself World Tour , came to a close with a three-night, sold-out stop at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium congregating 130,000 ARMYs .

To close off their Love Yourself trilogy series for good — and as is tradition in all their concerts — the seven members ended their final stop on the tour concert with emotional speeches and leader RM made things a lot more heart-wrenching for the extra special date.

For the previous dates in Seoul, RM , whose real name is Kim Namjoon , shed light on the power of emotional check-ins and the importance of loving yourself and not succumbing to unrealistic beauty standards . But for the very final stop, he reminisced about BTS’s journey with ARMY , sparking all the tears.

"If I think about it, it's the last verse of 'Reflection' which I released in 2016 — 'I wish I could love myself' — I had thought about it continuously since then. To 'love myself'; what on earth does it mean to love myself? And so I thought because I don't know either, wouldn't it be good to search for it together?" the Mono rapper told the audience, according to a fan translation from Do You Bangtan . "So, while the concept of LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF finishes here, since the journey, the road, of finding how to love ourselves doesn't finish here, in the future too, let's hold hands as we are now, and be together as we work out how to love ourselves."

"Once this era ends, I would like it if Kim Namjoon could be Kim Namjoon, if Bangtan could be Bangtan, and that each and every one of you [...] could be yourselves too. Please know this. Thanks to you all, I have been able to live until now. Please believe me. In the future, too, I hope that even one word of ours, one line of lyrics, could be a help for you to love yourselves. In the future, too, whatever [concept] we return with, let's try to enjoy ourselves together," Namjoon continued per the translation. "It'd be good if there was a better word than 'love', but truly, I love you. Please know that." And, welp , if you need me, I’ll be crying until at least 2020.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Despite his efforts not to, Namjoon couldn’t help but shed some tears himself during his ending ment — making ARMYs worldwide collectively break down. “I have never seen namjoon cry like that ..... this era was as special for him as it was for us, we helped each other through these years and we will forever hold hands together,” an ARMY wrote on Twitter after watching RM talk.

“Seeing namjoon cry really breaks my heart. he's usually reserved, he observes, but today it felt like he exploded, all emotions, thoughts, feelings came down to him all at once. thank you namjoon, thank you for sharing this with us. thank you for everything,” someone else pointed out . “I’ve never seen namjoon cry like this. it hits so different. i love him so much and i hope he knows how many lives he’s changed, how many lives he’s saved, and how many people love him. he deserves beyond the world,” another ARMY added .

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Following RM’s poignant words, the members proceeded to sing the tour farewell, “Mikrokosmos,” with teary eyes — and who can blame them?

An era might have just ended but ARMYs — old and new — are forever grateful this planet has Namjoon and already looking forward to Bangtan’s next chapter. We might need a few weeks to recover, but who’s ready for their performance at the 2019 Jingle Ball ?

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