Call of Duty’s North Korean invasion turns into a South Korean political fight
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, released on 23 October, depicts a North Korean invasion of South Korea and has topped Steam sales charts in South Korea and globally, according to AFP. South Korean opposition lawmakers have urged President Lee Jae Myung to play it as a warning about military preparedness, while Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said games are not subject to prior censorship.
Bottom line — The game has put South Korea’s security policy and creative freedom on the parliamentary agenda.
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The Korea Herald reports that lawmakers criticised Lee’s description of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal as a “last-resort defensive weapon”.
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At a parliamentary audit, Choi said politically sensitive creative works should not be suppressed simply because of their content, the Korea Herald reports.
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The Korea Herald says the game’s fictional invasion has also been compared with a Korean film that drew criticism over its portrayal of history.
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AFP reports that the game’s release followed an explosion in the Demilitarised Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers.
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The Elec reports that Samsung Electronics provided technical support and partnered with Activision on marketing, after the game’s invasion scenario had already been announced.
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Infinity Ward told The New York Times that its team consulted North Korean defectors and South Korean colleagues while developing the setting.