Amid growing controversy surrounding the video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4," released on October 23, SBS "News Hunters" sought expert analysis on the matter [Lee Se-young].
"Call of Duty" is a war game series launched in 2003, and this new installment is set against a scenario where a full-scale war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula following a surprise invasion by North Korea.
While some argue that turning an inter-Korean war into entertainment is an example of excessive commercialization by a foreign game company, others maintain that it falls under freedom of expression and can even serve as a reminder of the dangers of war.
First, regarding the game characters reminiscent of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Department Director Kim Yo-jong, it was explained that they differ significantly from the reality in North Korea.
[Cho Han-bum, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU): That makes no sense at all. Kim Yo-jong's title is Department Director of the General Affairs Department. She was also in the Propaganda and Agitation Department. She has nothing to do with the military. To become a leader in North Korea, one must first become the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. Kim Yo-jong has no military-related footprint. The very premise that she could be involved is impossible. It makes no sense. There is nothing more to discuss after that.]
The expert also stated that the pattern of warfare depicted in the game is far removed from reality.
[Cho Han-bum, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU): The war scenario itself makes no sense because actual warfare is not about entering towns or street fighting to weed out traitors like that. Regrettably, North Korea's doctrine prioritizes its nuclear doctrine. They hold a doctrine of using nuclear weapons first. It is not a street-fighting situation like that, but rather the possibility of a large-scale clash. That is the possibility, whereas the game shows squad combat, small-unit combat situations. So it is just entertainment-focused. Entertainment-focused.]
Reporters who played the game directly evaluated that it falls short of being used as military political education materials.
[Choi Seung-hoon, Reporter: Servants cannot enter convenience stores fully armed. That definitely felt awkward, and another thing that felt a bit strange was that U.S. forces were sitting down South Korean Marine Corps personnel and commanding them. Giving orders and saying, "Let's all go together."]
The expert emphasized that a clear distinction must be made between the portrayal of North Korea in the game and the actual threats posed by North Korea.
[Cho Han-bum, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU): Tensions have escalated due to North Korea's recent "hostile two-state" theory. In reality, excluding nuclear weapons as shown in the game, North Korea does not have the capability to fight a full-scale war. And if they suddenly come down, we know all the signs. There is no possibility of a war suddenly breaking out. However, North Korea's hostile two-state theory has neutralized the 2km Demilitarized Zone, effectively resulting in a forward deployment, and there have already been sacrifices of our service members due to landmine explosion accidents. The possibility of accidental clashes, and failure to manage those accidental clashes leading to further escalation—this possibility has clearly increased. So we can say this is a time when both excessive vigilance and overly complacent attitudes must be guarded against.]
However, criticism appears unavoidable regarding the use of news footage from the Itaewon crowd crush in the game's intro.
[Choi Seung-hoon, Reporter: In the first intro scene, news footage is edited and presented as if directing a movie, and footage from the time of the Itaewon disaster appears for about 3 seconds. When I directly inquired with the development company, they explained that actual news footage was used to convey a fictional story, and that they had absolutely no intention of taking tragic incidents, including the Itaewon disaster, lightly. For our citizens and bereaved families who have been hurt, it is inevitably a day that brings back that pain, so criticism that it was inappropriate seems difficult to avoid.]
(Planned by: Lee Se-young | Video edited by: Seo Byeong-wook | Image source: News Hunters | Produced by: SBS Digital News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.