The White House praised BTS's floppy-haired, stylish sensibilities as "young ambassadors spreading the message of hope and positivity around the world."
South Korean K-pop supergroup BTS used a visit to the White House on Tuesday to call for a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States.
Singer Park Ji-min, better known as Jimin, said through a translator before a meeting with President Joe Biden that the group was "devastated by the recent surge of hate crimes."
Another member, Suga, appealed for tolerance, saying, "It's not wrong to be different. I think equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences."
All seven members of the K-pop sensation took to the White House briefing room podium, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressing the daily back-and-forth journalists.
Dressed in a matching dark suit and tie, accompanied by a white shirt, the boy band came to the White House with a serious message.
The White House said Biden issued an invitation to "come together in solidarity, Asian inclusion and representation, and to discuss the need to address anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination, which have become more prominent issues in recent years." "
Anti-Asian sentiment and violence in the US have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, a trend many blame on the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump often blamed the pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, as the "China virus" and also mocked the deadly virus as "kung flu".
This trend coincides with a general increase in violent crime, with the ugliest incident occurring in the Atlanta area, where a man shot and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, at a massage spa.
The White House praised BTS's floppy-haired, stylish sensibilities as "young ambassadors spreading the message of hope and positivity around the world."
The band's members, all in their 20s and often seen wearing earrings and lipstick, have given voice to a generation that is comfortable with gender fluidity.
He is credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and his label enjoyed increased profits despite holding fewer concerts during the pandemic.
Biden, who, at 79, is the oldest person to become president, often approaches young celebrities and social media influencers to try to infuse some glamor into his team's messaging on social and health issues.
These included pop singers Olivia Rodrigo and the Jonas Brothers, who were involved in campaigns to persuade young Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccines.