Why Call of Duty is facing backlash in South Korea
What's the story
The South Korean families who lost their loved ones in the deadly 2022 Seoul crowd crush are demanding the removal of a scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The scene shows a person performing CPR and bodies lying on the street. The footage is used in the game's opening moments to depict civilian casualties during a fictional North Korean invasion.
Public reaction
Bereaved families and civic groups appalled by the video game
The bereaved families and a coalition of civic groups have expressed their outrage over the use of such footage in a video game.
They said, "We are appalled that the chaotic and desperate scenes, in which countless citizens performed CPR to save one another and victims lay on the cold street, were used exactly as they were to create a scene in a game."
The groups have demanded that Activision remove the footage from Modern Warfare 4.
Publisher's statement
Activision responds to the controversy
Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, has responded to the controversy.
The company said that "some actual news footage included in the game's opening cinematic was utilized as an element to convey the fictional story within the work."
They added, "We had absolutely no intention of mentioning or treating lightly any actual tragic events, including the Itaewon tragedy."
Industry response
Korean Game Users Association demands an apology
Following the game's release, players in South Korea identified the controversial clip.
The Korean Game Users Association has demanded an apology and called for the footage to be replaced.
The association's call comes as South Korea marks the fourth anniversary of the tragic crowd crush incident on Halloween weekend in 2022, which claimed 158 lives.