BTS star Jung Kook added to Global Citizen lineup in New York: 'The festival drives action'

Riding the success of his debut solo single, "Seven," Jung Kook of BTS will appear at New York’s Global Citizen Festival.

The Sept. 23 concert in Central Park will mark one of the first live solo appearances for the K-pop star.

The annual event, which also boasts headliners Megan Thee Stallion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Anitta, was established in Australia in 2008 to help combat extreme poverty. It has since expanded its purpose to also take action on gender equality and climate change.

Fans can earn free tickets to Global Citizen Festival in exchange for taking actions for social change on the organization’s app and website.

Jung Kook, 26, acknowledged the social issues element of the festival, saying in a statement, "The festival sheds light on important causes and drives action and I'm happy to take part in it. I can't wait to perform in front of many people at the Great Lawn in Central Park."

The singer, who was named a global ambassador for Calvin Klein earlier this year, released "Seven," featuring upstart rapper Latto, in July. The song debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, making him the first Korean solo artist to top all three charts simultaneously.

Fellow K-pop stars Stray Kids are also on the 2023 Global Citizen Festival bill, as well as Conan Gray, Sofia Carson and rapper-DJ D-Nice.

Appearances are expected from Bill Nye, Carmelo Anthony, Connie Britton, Gayle King, Padma Lakshmi, Rachel Brosnahan and Sophia Bush, among others.

The event will be livestreamed on the Global Citizen site, as well as Amazon’s Prime Video, Apple TV, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Highlights will be broadcast on ABC.

Contributing: The Associated Press