K-pop girl group aespa recently spoke at the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

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The forum, which was hosted at the United Nations headquarters in New York yesterday (July 5), saw the members of the girl group delivering a speech on the importance of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in relation to the group’s metaversal concept.

“As the metaverse accelerates, we have to ask the question: ‘Are we working just as hard to create the best possible real-world?’” member Giselle said, per Korea JoongAng Daily. “The metaverse reflects reality. If our own reality is not sustainable, it would become difficult to sustain the possibilities of the virtual world.”

“The topic of sustainable development is urgent and we believe the next generation must support sustainable development goals in order to protect the world that we live in,” she added. After their speech, the group played a live performance video of their viral hit ‘Next Level’.

aespa is set to release their sophomore mini-album, ‘Girls’, later this week. Their forthcoming record will be led by the title track ‘Girls’, and will include previously released track ‘Illusion’ and a Korean version of their first-ever English single, ‘Life’s Too Short’.

Three of the group’s older singles – ‘Black Mamba’, ‘Forever’ and ‘Dreams Come True’ – will also feature on ‘Girls’, of which the first two will be released physically for the first time through their latest project.

‘Girls’ will mark aespa’s first comeback of the year, and is the much-anticipated follow-up to the girl group’s popular debut mini-album ‘Savage’.