"Why Is Footage of the Itaewon Disaster in a War Game?" Bereaved Families Outraged as U.S. Game Company Responds

CPR scene from the disaster inserted for 3 seconds
Used to depict the toll of war
Bereaved families call for removal ahead of disaster's fourth anniversary

Controversy is growing after it emerged that actual footage from the scene of the 2022 Oct. 29 Itaewon disaster was used in the popular American war game "Call of Duty." Families of the victims and civic groups marking the disaster's fourth anniversary called the use of the footage an inappropriate act that violated the victims' dignity, and urged the company to remove it and issue an official apology.

Yonhap News Agency reported on Oct. 28 that actual broadcast footage of the Itaewon disaster had been inserted for about three seconds into a cinematic video for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4," a first-person shooter (FPS) released simultaneously worldwide on Oct. 23 by American game company Activision. The scene in question shows paramedics performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person who had collapsed shortly after the disaster.

Controversy is mounting after it emerged that the popular U.S. war game "Call of Duty" used actual footage from the scene of the October 29 Itaewon tragedy in 2022. Screenshot from the game.

The game is set in a fictional scenario in which war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's invasion of South Korea. The footage appears to have been taken from actual news coverage of the Itaewon disaster and used to portray the horrific consequences of war, including civilian casualties.

After the footage came to light, criticism mounted online that it was inappropriate to use footage of an actual disaster as material for an entertainment game. The controversy also intensified the backlash from bereaved families, as it erupted shortly before the disaster's fourth anniversary. The 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Association and the Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting said using an actual tragedy in a game for entertainment was inappropriate and insensitive, and called for the scene to be removed.

Jo In-young, co-chief of the situation room at the 10·29 Itaewon Disaster Citizens' Countermeasures Meeting, told Yonhap News Agency that the game had failed to adequately consider the pain caused to bereaved families, victims and the public by the disaster footage, and showed a lack of sensitivity toward the victims' dignity. She added that foreign family members of the victims had also come to Korea to attend the fourth-anniversary memorial service, and said the group planned to formally raise the issue after collecting signatures from bereaved families.

A purple ribbon made of fabric hangs at Itaewon Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 29th, the fourth anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy. Yonhap News Agency.

The Korea Game Users Association also issued a statement, saying that a clear explanation of how the footage came to be used and an apology were necessary because its use had harmed bereaved families and others despite having no direct connection to the game's plot. The association called for responsible follow-up measures, including an update replacing the footage with a different scene. It also said, however, that the controversy should not lead to censorship of the game itself or unjustified restrictions.

As the controversy spread, Activision also issued an explanation. The company told Yonhap News Agency that some actual news footage included in the game's opening video had been used to convey the fictional story. It also said there was absolutely no intention to refer to or make light of actual tragedies, including the Itaewon disaster. However, its public statement did not include a direct apology to the bereaved families or plans to remove or replace the footage in question.

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