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On November 13, pictures from Pritz's past November 2 outdoor performance began circulating across Korean online communities as people questioned the group's outfit choice. In the pictures, shown above, the girls can be seen wearing a completely black outfit, save for the red band wrapped around their arm. The red band contains a white circle with a black cross in the middle and bears a striking resemblance to the Hakenkreuz, which also consists of a white circle centered against a red background with a black cross bent at the ends. Members of the Nazi Party were also known to wear these around their arms.
Adolf Hitler, wearing the Hakenkreuz on his arm.�
Due to the girl group's shocking outfit, netizens have been suspicious as to whether or not the group is expressing its support for the Nazi Party, an originally German, political group infamous for persecuting people of various races, sexual orientations, and religions as well as massacring the Jewish people known as the Holocaust during World War II. As the girl group's name Pritz also sounds similar to the word Fritz, a name given to German troops by the British during the first and second world war, netizens are further convinced that the symbol is a blatant reference to the Hakenkreuz.
Others have pointed out that the logo might be more similar to the Arrow Cross symbol, which consists of a cross with arrowheads at the tips. This symbol is also controversial, however, as it has been used by extremist organizations such as the Hungarian National Socialist Party and the Arrow Cross Party. The symbol is currently outlawed in Hungary. Another similar symbol, the Crosstar, is used by the Nationalist Movement, a white supremacist group in the United States.
On the left, the Arrow Cross. On the right, the Crosstar.
Pritz's agency Pandagram has commented that the logo is not based on any of these controversial designs, but rather on the Korean speed limit traffic sign, which features a number written in a circle with a red band wrapped around. Pandagram has further asserted that the four arrowheads at the ends of the cross symbolize the group's ambitions to grow and expand. Due to the backlash, the agency is currently looking into possibly changing the logo.
Korean speed limit sign.
Netizen reaction has mostly been negative, with comments saying variations of, "Are they crazy?" and, "Seriously...�What's their problem, they're crazy?"
In other news, although Pritz has previously announced that they will be making their comeback on November 13 with "Sola Sola," they have yet to release the MV, so it is possible that there may be a delay due to this controversy.
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