"They Said 'Watch Movies as Movies'..." North Korean Invasion Game Sparks Debate in Progressive and Conservative Communities

New 'Call of Duty' Installment Depicts a "Second Korean War"
"It Depicts Human Rights Abuses" vs. "Isn't It Based on Facts?"
Criticism: "Turning an Unfinished War into Entertainment"

Online debate has erupted over a new American video game depicting North Korea invading South Korea.

Progressives and Conservatives Clash Over Portrayal of North Korean Forces

Still from the 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4' introduction video. YouTube

On the 23rd, some progressive users on social media criticized the first-person shooter (FPS) game 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4,' released that day, for excessively depicting human rights abuses by North Korean forces, including hunting down traitors and executing villagers. One user wrote, "Aren't North Korean soldiers just unfortunate people who happened to be born in North Korea?" and added, "The brutal game made me feel miserable." In a YouTube broadcast last June, Kim Jiseon, co-representative of Seoul Candlelight Action, said, "Is it normal to make and commercialize a game in which people kill each other when we are still a divided country under an armistice?" She added, "It amplifies hostility."

By contrast, conservative online communities responded, "They say you should watch a movie as a movie, so this is a double standard," and, "Isn't it based on facts?" They argued that progressives, who had championed freedom of expression and artistic creation when the film 'Assassins' stirred controversy over historical distortion after its release last month, were taking a different position this time.

North Korean soldiers depicted in the "Call of Duty" introductory video. YouTube

Created by the American game developer Infinity Ward, the game is set in a fictional "Second Korean War" in which North Korean forces invade South Korean cities and engage in all-out war with South Korean and U.S. allied forces. South Korean conscripts are among the main characters. The game also features a coup between siblings in North Korea's leadership and a mission to raid a leadership palace reminiscent of North Korea's "Kumsusan Palace." The introductory video released last month drew attention, garnering more than 97.2 million views.

The game has also been mentioned in political circles. Ahn Cheolsoo, a People Power Party lawmaker, shared the game's introductory video on social media and wrote, "If you don't understand the danger of North Korean provocations, try playing 'Call of Duty.'" Ahn added, "Just watching gameplay footage is enough to learn how much catastrophic damage the president's naive judgment could bring to South Korea."

A game critic commented, "Bringing political logic to a work of art obscures its essence." Cultural critic Kim Seongsu reportedly said, "If a game deals with historical reality, it needs meticulous research and detailed depictions of the setting. That's the game's narrative," adding, "Portraying it in a fantastical way, as with wars in the 1950s, risks misleading people about the facts."

"If It Is Not Handled Carefully, It Could Face Major Backlash in South Korea"

In May, the British broadcaster BBC reported in an article titled "'Controversial' North Korean Invasion Scenario" that the game's first trailer had received about 22 million views within a day of its release, while social media reactions topped 3 million over 24 hours. The responses from South Korean users cited by the BBC were mostly positive, however. One user called South Korea's appearance in a globally renowned game series a "symbolic moment," while another said, "It resonates because the game is told from the perspective of ordinary conscripts, not special forces."

Sarah Sohn, a professor of Korean studies at the University of Sheffield in the UK, told the BBC, "It could be controversial to turn an unfinished war into entertainment." She added, "The prospect of renewed conflict between North and South Korea is not unfamiliar in popular culture, but it has generally been portrayed from South Korea's perspective, and a globally renowned game series could be judged differently."

George Osborn, a video game industry expert and author of 'Power Play: Video Games, Politics and the Battle for Global Influence,' cited the case of 'Homefront,' a game depicting a unified Korean Peninsula under North Korean leadership that was pulled from sale in South Korea. He said, "If the developer cannot show that it handled the subject carefully, it could face major backlash and difficulties selling the game in South Korea." 'Homefront' was put up for pre-order in South Korea in 2011 without receiving a rating, but sales were suspended after the Game Rating Board ordered corrective action.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.