The newest installment in Activision's Call of Duty franchise, released last week, is set in the fictional South Korean city of Hajin during a North Korean attack. However, the game has triggered significant controversy in South Korea due to its inclusion of real-life footage depicting a tragic event rather than purely fictional visuals.
The disputed clips appear in the game's opening sequence and show emergency responses following the fictional assault. Among these images are scenes of a man performing CPR on another individual, which were sourced directly from the aftermath of the 2022 crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood. That disaster occurred during Halloween celebrations when people became trapped in a narrow alleyway, resulting in nearly 160 deaths and sparking intense debates regarding bureaucratic negligence and political accountability.
A group representing the families of the victims has demanded that Activision remove these scenes from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The Itaewon Tragedy Bereaved Families Association stated in a public declaration that citizens who participated in or witnessed the rescue efforts continue to live with trauma and pain. They argued that utilizing this incident as material for entertainment purposes is highly inappropriate and lacks common sense.
The association further noted that many individuals are currently experiencing re-traumatization due to hateful online comments surrounding the tragedy, which have been amplified by the game's release.
Sources: The New York Times World.