Activision’s newly released first-person shooter game, ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’, which centers around a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea, has sparked severe backlash for featuring real broadcasting footage from the Itaewon tragedy.
According to the gaming industry on the 28th, the cinematic video included in the game released globally by the American developer on October 23 features approximately three seconds of actual news footage showing a paramedic performing CPR on a collapsed citizen immediately following the tragedy.
Victims’ Families and Civic Groups Denounce Insensitive Depiction
Families of the victims and civic organizations have strongly protested the inclusion. The October 29 Itaewon Tragedy Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens’ Countermeasures Meeting issued a joint statement demanding the immediate removal of the scene, calling it an inappropriate and mindless act to utilize such an event for entertainment purposes.
The associations emphasized that the Itaewon tragedy was a devastating disaster that claimed hundreds of lives, and that those who participated in rescue efforts or witnessed the event continue to suffer from severe trauma. They urged the game developer to take prompt corrective action out of basic courtesy and empathy for the victims.
Game Developer Response and Industry Reaction
In response to the controversy, Activision stated that the real news footage included in the game’s opening cinematic was utilized as an element to convey the fictional narrative within the work. The company asserted that there was no intention whatsoever to reference or lightly treat any real-world tragic events, including the Itaewon tragedy.
Meanwhile, organizations such as the Korea Game Users Association also urged the developer to provide a clear explanation and apology for using an unrelated tragic event in a way that harms the bereaved families, while calling for responsible updates to replace the footage.
