The award was named after General James A. Van Fleet, who served as the commander in the Korean War and as president of the Korea Society. The Korea Society, an organization established to promote awareness, understanding, and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea, will be bestowing this great honor to K-Pop group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan / Beyond The Scene). Through music and various outreach projects, BTS solidified the bond with South Korea and the United States. Past recipients of the award include former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former U.S. president George W. Bush, former South Korean president Kim Dae Jung, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Gun Hee, and Hyundai KIA Automotive Group Chairman Jeong Mong Goo. BTS will deliver an acceptance speech virtually on October 7th. Congratulations, BTS! Source (1, 2)
