K-pop Group Aespa Talk Sustainability & Metaverse At UN

All-girl K-pop group aespa delivered a speech at the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, US, on 5 July 2022. In their address, the group highlighted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) with a special emphasis on their significance in the metaverse. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, aespa presented itself as a “metaverse girl group” in their speech, which was delivered in English. The Metaverse is at the core of aespa’s concept, which revolves around its members having their avatars in the virtual world.

“People are paying more attention to creating the best possible metaverse world. It transcends many boundaries – reality and virtual reality, time and space, and genres and generations,” said Giselle, one of the members of the four girl group. Karina, Ningning, and Winter, the other three members, were by her side as she spoke.

“As the metaverse accelerates, we have to ask the question: ‘Are we working just as hard to create the best possible real-world?’” she added. In the speech titled ‘Next Generation to the Next Level’, the group stated that since the “metaverse reflects reality,” it would be challenging to sustain the possibilities of the virtual world if the real world is not sustainable.

“Without sustainable ecosystems or equal opportunities for quality living, there will be no real world to be mirrored,” Giselle said. Urging the next generation to support the SGDs, the group informed the gathering that it will create music as well as “represent sustainable goals in reality, hence, within the metaverse.”