Wangyue Zhou, Grade 11
UWCSEA Dover Campus

When asked about someone who inspires me, a K-pop group comes to my mind. This is an inspiring story of seven boys, who have gone through many years' journey from a small dark basement to the United Nations. These seven boys, who debuted aging 16-21, had suffered from mockery and defiance through their idol journey. You must have already guessed who they are; yes, they are BTS. The seven members’ childhoods are totally different. Some of them were born in rich families; some were born in poor families; some had never thought of being an idol; some of them would otherwise become farmers. Yet they all had the same dream after debut——to delight more people with their music. They first caught my attention in October 2020. My previous roommate is one of their fans. The wake-up bell in the dorm is a list of their songs. As I listened to them more, I began to know more about the 7 boys. They had considered dismissing the group in 2018. Yet they continued with tons of love from their ever-increasing large global fanbase. Also in 2018, they attended the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. As a K-pop group, they constantly break prejudice from the world. “Men shouldn't put on makeup.” “Men shouldn’t be idols.” “K-pop idols shouldn’t bear tattoos.” They still brought positive energy to the world. They appealed that everyone should love themselves. I remember one quote from RM, the leader of the group, "We’re on some path that’s set since we’re born, but I still believe we can change some things. So I believe in my faith but I still don’t believe in my fate." While everyone else is telling me to love others, they tell me to love myself first. That’s the reason why they inspire me; I was born in a poor family, but had never stopped pursuing my dream. I love myself as well as others, too.

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