Three Korean names made it on the TIME 100 Most Influential People 2019 list, announced Wednesday in the United States: BTS, Lee Hoe-sung and Sandra Oh.
The annual list was revealed on April 17 and lists 100 people (or entities) around the world, divided into five sections: pioneers, artists, leaders, icons and titans.
BTS was in the “artists” category shoulder-to-shoulder with big-names like actor Dwayne Johnson, Brie Larson, Regina King, singer Ariana Grande and Khalid.
Singer Halsey, who collaborated on the group’s latest release “Boy With Luv,” put in the recommendation for the septet.
“BTS has reached the top,” Halsey said, as cited by TIME.
“But behind those three letters are seven astounding young men who believe that music is stronger than the barriers of language,” she said. “It’s a universal dialect.”
She added, “For BTS, world domination is just another eight-count in the contemporary dance of life. But if you think that’s easy, you haven’t seen the love and effort these young men put into each and every step.”
They also earned 6 percent of the vote in the 2019 TIME 100 Reader Poll, taking No. 1 for the second year in a row, according to TIME.
The recommendation for Lee, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was made by former Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, who said that Lee “plays a vital role in supplying decision-makers and the public with the world’s most authoritative scientific understanding of climate change.”
“His commitment to not only reduce emissions, but simultaneously increase economic opportunities and raise millions of people from poverty, is one of the many reasons why I admire him,” wrote Ban.
For the Canadian-born Korean actor Oh, Shonda Rhimes, producer of the “Grey’s Anatomy” series, dubbed her “a virtuoso” with exquisite acting skills.
“Now, the power of her talented presence makes space for others. And that is a gift to every artist of color who follows in her footsteps,” wrote Rhimes.
This year’s TIME 100 list included prominent figures from all over the world, ranging from the incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump to Lady Gaga and Mark Zuckerberg.
The list is available on the official website, and the magazine will be printed on April 29.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily, Time Magazine