City Council Honors K-Pop Group Seventeen For Empowering LA Youth
LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council presented a certificate of appreciation to K-Pop Group Seventeen at Friday’s meeting to recognize the group’s contributions to music and youth empowerment within the city.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky invited Seventeen member Joshua Hong to attend the meeting, where he delivered a speech and addressed fans in attendance.
Hong was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Downtown Magnets High School in 2013. Following his high school graduation, Hong moved to South Korea to pursue his career in music alongside the members of Seventeen.
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“There are traces of my childhood all over LA,” Hong said. “To see LA City Hall, Hollywood, and Korea Town all take part in Seventeen The City LA and join us and our fans, carats, in fully enjoying the special last stop of our U.S. tour, is an absolute honor and an experience I’ll personally never forget.”
Yaroslavsky commended the group for its role as the first ever United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) goodwill ambassadors for youth.
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The group was appointed as ambassadors in July, signifying a commitment to putting their talent and voices to serve the UNESCO’s values and shining a spotlight on challenges faced by young people. Yaroslavsky said she chose to honor Seventeen with a certificate of appreciation for the impact they have had in LA and around the world.
“Seventeen has not only set records on stage, but also used their platform to make a difference in people’s lives. They embody the kind of community spirit we’re proud to celebrate here in Los Angeles every single day,” Yaroslavsky said.
In his speech, Hong said both Seventeen and LA are alike in many ways, including the way both groups thrive on the endless possibilities that diversity creates. Hong commended the city’s spirit as a pillar of culture and creativity, fueled by the “bustling energy created by people from diverse backgrounds.”
Alongside Yaroslavsky, Council member John Lee extended his thanks to Seventeen as a Korean American who grew up in LA.
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“When I was a kid growing up here in Los Angeles, if I heard that council members would be bringing in famous K-pop bands, music from the country of Korea, I would not have believed you,” Lee said. “It’s amazing to see our culture, our music, our movies, everything becoming so popular these days, but music leads away.”
Seventeen will perform over the weekend at BMO Stadium, concluding their successful U.S. tour with two sold out shows in LA. Various locations throughout LA County are holding celebrations to celebrate the group’s stops in LA.
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