K-pop stars BTS condemn rising anti-Asian violence
K-POP superstars BTS have condemned anti-Asian racism following a wave of violence across the US – and revealed they have also been ‘mocked for the way we look’.
The South Korean boy band released a statement on social media in Korean and English sending condolences to ‘those who have lost their loved ones’.
BTS did not specify an incident but six women of Asian descent were among eight people killed at massage parlours in the US state of Georgia earlier this month.
The crime sparked outrage among the Asian community, who say growing numbers have fallen victim to hate crimes, partially caused by rhetoric blaming them for the spread of Covid.
In their statement, BTS – one of the most popular bands in world music – said they too had experienced racism.
‘We feel grief and anger. We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians,’ said the band.
‘We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subject of hatred and violence for such a reason. Our own experiences are inconsequential compared to the events that have occurred over the past few weeks, but they were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.
‘We stand against racial discrimination. We will stand together.’ Their statement, which added the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate, was retweeted more than 600,000 times just hours after it was posted.
It came as police released footage of an Asian American woman, 65, being kicked repeatedly by a man as two security guards nearby failed to intervene. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack ‘disgusting’ and the actions of the witnesses ‘unacceptable’.