ARMY Magazine -Issue 12 Dec 2020 | Page 37

Kim Namjoon , RM Good evening , we are BTS . We feel very honored to receive the Van Fleet Award presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of the relationship between Korea and the United States . We express our sincere gratitude to all of the members of the Korea Society .

Kim Seokjin , Jin It is 7 p . m . in New York and 8 a . m . here in Seoul . We are living in different time zones and locations but connected through music . We share our cultures and stories beyond borders and languages based on solidarity .

Kim Taehyung , V We are experiencing the amazing power of connection and solidarity in every moment of our career . It brings changes to what seemed unlikely , and makes possible what seemed impossible . I believe this kind of power has brought BTS to become who we are today .

Jung Hoseok , j-hope As you are all aware , we recently reached the summit of Billboard ’ s Hot 100 chart . Despite all the difficult times we went through since our debut seven years ago , we ’ ve been able to proceed without giving up thanks to people who we are connected with and joined together in solidarity .

Park Jimin It cheers us up when many people around the world , including the United States , listen to our songs and sympathize with our words and messages .

This also allowed us to clearly understand what we are doing , and what we should be doing moving forward .

Jeon Jungkook What I have learned from touring across the world is that our thoughts are not so different even if we are in different places . The feeling of sadness , anger , and being touched is similar everywhere I go . I hope that our music plays a role as a link that allows people from all around the world to understand and respect one another .

Min Yoongi , SUGA Thankfully , a lot of people are supporting us as each and every one of them became a messenger , spreading a much bigger energy and influence . In the future , we will make sure to not lose faith in the power of connection and solidarity , and continue to create music and performance of our own .

Kim Namjoon , RM The Korea Society ’ s 2020 Annual Gala is especially meaningful , as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War . We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together , and the sacrifices of countless men and women . After 70 years , the world we were living in is much closer than before . And boundaries in many aspects are getting more blurred . As members of the global community , we should build a deeper understanding and solidarity to be happier together . In pursuit of this cause , BTS will always remind ourselves of the meaning of the Van Fleet Award and keep doing our best in all that we do . Thank you very much .

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