A national petition on the Blue House website regarding IZ*ONE is raising controversy.

IZ*ONE will debut on October 29 with their new album “COLOR*IZ” and the title track, “La Vie En Rose.” They will perform their song during the showcase concert today, and are scheduled to appear on music shows too.

However, a national petition to ban the group from appearing on KBS, the Korean public television channel, and its music show “Music Bank” started on October 28. The original writer of the petition stated, “IZ*ONE is a project group from ‘Produce 48.’ The show was created through the cooperation of Mnet and AKB48. AKB48 is a well known group that actively supports the Japanese right wing and its activities. There are also members who performed at AKB48’s concert too. Thus the group should not appear on a national television channel that receives license fees from the public.” Approximately 12,000 people signed the petition by October 29, 2 p.m. KST.

IZ*ONE members Miyawaki Sakura, Yabuki Nako, and Honda Hitomi are a part of AKB48, and AKB48’s producer Yasushi Yakimoto, who wrote the lyrics for IZ*ONE’s “You’re In Love, Right?” is a well known supporter of the Japanese right wing. Issues regarding the Japanese right wing are a sensitive topic in Korea due to the history between the two countries, such as colonization and post war settlements.

Fans are currently uploading other petitions to support IZ*ONE and the group’s activities. IZ*ONE will meet the press before their showcase concert today. Stay tuned for more updates.

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