Bereaved families and civic groups in South Korea have called for the removal of real footage depicting the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush from the latest Call of Duty installment. The clips appear in the opening sequence of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, where they are repurposed to represent civilian casualties during a fictional North Korean invasion scenario. The footage shows distressing scenes including individuals performing CPR on victims and bodies laid out on streets.
The disaster in Seoul’s Itaewon nightlife district killed 158 people during Halloween weekend in 2022, with two additional individuals subsequently recognized as victims who died from trauma-related causes. The families’ council and allied organizations released a joint statement expressing dismay that the actual recorded scenes—in which witnesses performed rescue efforts and victims remained exposed on streets—were incorporated directly into the game narrative.
Those affected by the crush continue to experience ongoing trauma, according to the groups, which also noted that hateful commentary about the victims has emerged online in connection with the game’s premise. The Korean Game Users Association has similarly called for an apology and replacement of the footage. Activision stated that the news footage was included as a narrative element within the fictional story and emphasized having no intention to minimize the actual tragic event.
The controversy emerged as players in South Korea identified the clips following the game’s release, with Korean broadcasters subsequently conducting side-by-side comparisons with footage from the night of the crowd crush. The title had already generated political discussion prior to launch, with conservative politicians citing it as commentary on North Korean threats. Modern Warfare 4 quickly became a bestseller on Steam in South Korea following its release.
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