K-pop group BTS opened up about experiencing anti-Asian hate in a statement shared via social media on Monday, March 29.

“We send our deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” the lengthy post read. “We feel grief and anger.”

Jungkook, Jimin, V, Suga, Jin, J-Hope and RM‘s Twitter post was shared along with the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate and came following the rise of reported anti-Asian hate crimes. Although they didn’t recount any specific experiences, the seven-piece group recounted “moments when we faced discrimination as Asians.”

“We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look. We were even asked why Asians spoke in English,” they added. “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 these experiences were enough to make us feel powerless and chip away our self-esteem.”

They continued, “What is happening right now cannot be dissociated from our identity as Asians. It required considerable time for us to discuss this carefully and we contemplated deeply on how we should voice our message.”

BTS first rose to fame in 2013 after releasing their debut album 2 Cool 4 Skool. The band was formed one year prior following an audition process with their record label, Big Hit Entertainment. After stepping into the music scene, BTS made major waves. They’ve broken tons of records over the years, including 18 Guinness World Records. Their record Love Yourself: Tear debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Album 200 charts making them the first-ever Korean artist to do so. BTS’ 2020 single “Dynamite” also broke multiple iTunes, Spotify and YouTube records. They’ve also released five Korean-language studio albums and four Japanese-language records over the years and have no plans of stopping any time soon.

Aside from music, the boys have hit the road on four separate tours, released four movies and had six reality shows. They’ve also racked up an ARMY of celebrity fans like Charlie Puth, Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Cole Sprouse, Selena GomezRoss Butler, Shawn Mendes, Liam Payne, Ariana Grande and more.

When concluding their Twitter message to fans, BTS wrote, “But what our voice must convey is clear. We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”

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