A month has passed since IZ*ONE official disbanded. With the members now pursuing their solo careers, many of them have already started to make appearances and engagements.
Earlier this week, Japanese member Miyawaki Sakura delivered a stage performance in her home country. However, she received criticisms due to her act, according to AllKpop.
As explained, netizens called her for allegedly "mocking Korean" fans, WIZ*ONE. The claims came after snaps and clips of her performance became public and reached various media channels.
The materials show a specific part of the act, featuring Murashige Anna behind the K-Pop idol, with a placard that has a message in Korean. Bodyguards, later on, dragged the personality away from the stage.
On online forum threads, many Korean netizens shared their criticisms toward the IZ*ONE member. Many of them pointed out that the performance is "offensive" to Korean WIZ*ONEs.
They claimed that Miyawaki Sakura was "mocking" the fans because they used the Korean language, despite being in Japan. Some, also, asserted that she likely has "no intention of returning" to South Korea because of what she did.
Amid all the negative comments and waves of backlash, though, there are still several individuals who defended the K-Pop idol. A separate report from AllKpop discussed what the defense is all about, noting that there is nothing offensive in the performance.
As emphasized, Murashige Anna is a friend of the IZ*ONE member. Apart from this, she has an "Otaku concept," which she materialized on the stage performance.
The netizens who continued to defend Miyawaki Sakura, then, stated that the sign was in Korean because the idol was active as a K-Pop artist in South Korea until the group's disbandment. Moreover, Japanese fans, reportedly, always utilize the Korean names of the idols.
Several individuals, also, shared that when they watched the performance, they did not feel any offense as they found it funny. In the end, though, the IZ*ONE idol has yet to break her silence about the issue.
Meanwhile, details and information about the latest activities of the rest of the group remain scarce. Following their shocking disbandment in April, the members have yet to make official comebacks in their respective careers.
The news about the group's exit from the K-Pop scene first emerged in March, according to Soompi. IZ*ONE's agency and label released an official statement regarding the matter, informing WIZ*ONEs about the end of the group's activities in April.
Weeks after the release of the statement, the three Japanese members of the all-female act flew home and returned to Japan. These are Miyawaki Sakura, Yabuki Nako, and Honda Hitomi, who were seen at the Incheon International Airport on the day of their flight.