Abstract:
The opening credits of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" use real news images of the 2022 Itaewon stampede in Seoul. The Association of Families of Victims of the Itaewon Incident has asked Activision to delete the relevant clips, and the Korean Game Users Association has also requested the removal and replacement of the material.
The game mainly revolves around the conflict between North Korea and South Korea. The opening sequence presents a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea through a montage of news reports. One of the brief shots showed first responders performing CPR on a fallen person, which some Korean players recognized as coming from news reports of the Itaewon accident. The accident resulted in 159 deaths and 196 injuries.
The Victims' Families Association stated that it is not appropriate to use real-life disasters that caused a large number of casualties and are still traumatizing to those who have experienced them in entertainment games, and urged developers to correct them as soon as possible. The Korean Game Users Association also called for the clip to be removed, and wanted Activision to explain how it used disaster imagery that had nothing to do with the game's plot, apologize, and replace the material with updates.
Activivision admitted that the opening animation used some real news footage to convey the game's fictional narrative. The company also stated that it has no intention to insinuate or belittle any real-life tragedies such as the Itaewon accident. There is no word yet that Activision has committed to removing, replacing, or rolling out updates.
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