PETALING JAYA, Mar 31 — BTS has spoken up in support of the Stop Asian Hate movement following a spike in racist attacks against Asian communities in recent months.

The K-pop boyband posted statements in Korean and English to their Twitter page yesterday to send their condolences to those who lost their loved ones to race-based violence, adding that they felt "grief and anger” over the incidents.

The members, made up of Jimin, Jungkook, Jin, V, RM, Suga, and J-Hope, also recalled their experiences of racism as Asian artists promoting outside their home country and how painful it was to become a subject of hatred and violence due to their race.

"We have endured expletives without reasons and were mocked for the way we look.

"We were even asked why Asians spoke in English.

"Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks, but these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away at our self-esteem,” said BTS.

The Boy With Luv singers ended their statement with a pledge to stand against racial discrimination and violence.

The Stop Asian Hate movement gained traction last year as the Covid-19 pandemic led to a spike in anti-Asian violence, particularly in Europe and the United States.

Public figures and celebrities also spoke up in support of the Asian community after a white man went on a shooting spree at Asian-owned spas in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this month and killed eight people, six of whom were women of East Asian descent.

The killer claimed that his crimes were motivated by a sex addiction that conflicted with his religious beliefs, which ignited conversations about the fetishisation of Asian women and its roots in colonisation.