Call of Duty's portrayal of North Korea and its soldiers: Artistic freedom or overstated brutality?

A video game depicting a fictional North Korean invasion of South Korea has drawn criticism for exaggerating the brutality of North Korean soldiers, while the game’s defenders accuse critics of a double standard, citing their defense of the film “The Assassin(s)” on grounds of artistic freedom.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a first-person shooter game set during a fictional second Korean War, triggered by a full-scale North Korean invasion of South Korea. The game allows players to take on the role of a South Korean soldier fighting alongside U.S. forces against North Korean troops.

Developed by U.S. game company Infinity Ward, the game features scenes including a coup involving siblings in North Korea's leadership. It also depicts a mission to raid a leadership compound resembling North Korea's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.

The game is scheduled for official release on Friday. A promotional video released last month attracted 97.2 million views.

News of the release spread beyond gamers. Users in progressive-leaning online communities criticized its graphic depictions of North Korean soldiers hunting down suspected traitors and executing villagers, and argued that the portrayal exaggerated human rights abuses by the North Korean military.

"Aren't North Korean soldiers also unfortunate people who just happened to be born in North Korea?" one user wrote. "The brutality of the game made me feel miserable."

Another user expressed frustration over a foreign company fictionalizing Korea's painful history, adding, "We should even consider a boycott."

Progressive figures have also joined the criticism.

"We cannot help but be concerned about historical and cultural distortions [in the game], and turning Korean society's trauma of war into entertainment is also problematic," Kim Sung-jae, chair of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center, wrote in a media column in September. "If the game amplifies hatred toward North Korea, it could lead to unintended and troubling developments in inter-Korean relations."

Kim Ji-sun, co-chair of civic group Candlelight Action, also criticized the game for amplifying hostility during a YouTube broadcast in June. A trailer for the game was released in May.

"Is it normal to create and commercialize a game in which people kill one another when we remain a divided country under an armistice?" Kim asked during the broadcast.

The BBC also reported on the game shortly after the trailer was released, quoting a lecturer who said the game's setting could be controversial.

The criticism drew pushback in conservative-leaning online communities, where users argued that critics were overreacting to a fictional scenario created by a foreign game developer. Users also argued that defending North Korean troops, who remain in a military standoff with South Korea under the armistice, was inappropriate.

"It's just a game, and doesn't it accurately depict the reality of Korea being divided?" said a player surnamed Jang, who has run through games in the Call of Duty series.

Some accused critics of applying freedom of expression selectively, referring to the controversy surrounding the film "The Assassin(s)."

The film, about the 1974 assassination of Yuk Young-soo, wife of President Park Chung Hee, drew criticism from conservatives who said it distorted history, while some progressive figures defended it on grounds of artistic freedom.

"They told us to treat a movie as just a movie, but now they're applying double standards," one comment read.

"Isn't this actually based on reality?" another user wrote.

People Power Party Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo also shared the game's promotional video on social media while criticizing President Lee Jae Myung's North Korea policy.

"If you don't understand the dangers of North Korean provocations, at least try playing 'Call of Duty,'" Ahn wrote. "Even just watching gameplay footage would teach you how much catastrophic damage the president's naive judgment could inflict on South Korea."

As the controversy grows, experts have cautioned against allowing the game to become embroiled in political disputes.

"Viewing creative works through a political lens distracts from the work itself," a game critic who requested anonymity said. "We should also be especially careful not to turn a foreign-made game into a political debate."

Cultural critic Kim Sung-soo emphasized the importance of historical accuracy, saying games based on historical events require thorough research and careful attention to historical context.

When the developer unveiled the game in May, it said the new setting was "grounded in the military authenticity Modern Warfare is known for and built with attention to the culture, history, and military detail of the region."

The Call of Duty series has long drawn inspiration from real-world conflicts. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, released in 2022, included a mission resembling the 2020 U.S. strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force.

BY HAN CHAN-WOO [[email protected]]