BTS visits White House, speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden and at press briefing

People

Published: 01 Jun. 2022, 11:08 Updated: 01 Jun. 2022, 16:23

BTS visits White House, speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden and at press briefing

President Joe Biden of the United States and K-pop boy band BTS pose at the White House Oval Office after their meeting on May 31. [BIG HIT MUSIC]

K-pop megastars BTS visited the White House for a meeting with President Joe Biden in his Oval Office on Tuesday.

After the closed meeting, BTS posted a photograph with Biden on their official Twitter and wrote, "Thanks for having us at the White House. It was a huge honor to discuss important issues with [President Biden] today."

Biden also posted a 59-second-long video clip of their meeting on Twitter and said, "It was great to meet you [BTS]. Thanks for all you're doing to raise awareness around the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination. I look forward to sharing more of our conversation soon."

Prior to the meeting, the boy band members also stopped by the James S. Brady Briefing Room.

“As many of you know BTS as Grammy-nominated international icons, they also play an important role as youth ambassadors, promoting a message of respect and positivity,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said as she introduced the boy band.

Reporters try to capture BTS on their cameras and phones as the boy band visits the James S. Brady Briefing Room of the White House on May 31. [JOINT PRESS CORP]

More than 100 reporters gathered at the James S. Brady Briefing Room on May 31 as BTS made an appearance. [NEWS1]

“Hi, we are BTS and it is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to be able to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity,” RM, the group’s leader, addressed the reporters in English as he came up to the lectern first.

He also thanked Biden for giving them the “important opportunity to speak about the important causes [and] remind ourselves of what we can do as artists.”

K-pop stars are known for their vibrant hair colors, and BTS members are no exception. But on Tuesday, all seven members had their hair dyed a conservative black. Their outfits as well, far from the flashy pieces they wear for photoshoots and concerts, were the classic combination of black suits and ties.

RM, leader of BTS, speaks in the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, on May 31. [JOINT PRESS CORP]

The seven members each took turns giving a brief statement. They spoke in Korean, and a translator with them translated it to English.

“We stand with the AANHPI community,” Jin said.

Tuesday was the last day of AANHPI Heritage Month, a month that celebrates the role of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in the United States' history.

Jimin said that the group was “devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes, including Asian American hate crimes” and explained that the band is visiting the White House to help “put a stop to this and support the cause.”

According to media reports, the briefing room that seats 49 people was jam-packed Tuesday afternoon with more than 100 reporters coming to see BTS firsthand and scrambling to capture them live on their phones.

The seven-member sensation even garnered over 310,000 viewers to watch the livestream of the press briefing on the White House’s official YouTube channel. The regularly occurring briefings garner an average of about 16,000 viewers.

J-Hope mentioned BTS fans, known as ARMY, by saying, “we are here today thanks to our ARMY, our fans worldwide, who have different nationalities and cultures and use different languages. We are truly grateful.”

Fans of BTS waiting in front of the White House on May 31 to catch a glimpse of the boys. [NEWS1]

V added, “We hope today is one step forward to respecting and understanding each and every one as a valuable person.”

The band took no questions and left the room after each taking turns to speak.

As BTS left the room, reporters applauded and shouted “thank you” in Korean, and the members responded back with “thank you” in Korean.

Most of YouTube streaming viewers checked out as BTS left the room, leaving only about 10,000 people remaining to watch the rest of the briefing.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]