South Korea: the opposition invites the president to play “Call of Duty” to understand the stakes of the conflict with Pyongyang

Faced with persistent tensions between the two Koreas, a video game is entering the South Korean political debate on the country's military preparation. When Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was released on October 23, opposition parties were quick to criticize the approach deemed too conciliatory by President Lee Jae-myung towards his northern neighbor. According to the South China Morning Post, Rep. Han Dong-hoon, a former justice minister, suggested that President Lee try his hand at the video game, saying the experience could give him insight into the risks associated with a lack of military preparedness.

Why this particular game? because it depicts a fictional conflict caused by a surprise attack by North Korea against its southern neighbor. Players take on the role of Park Hyun-jun, a young South Korean soldier engaged in the fighting, which takes place in the streets of Seoul. Certain missions take them to strategic locations of the North Korean regime, including a site inspired by the Palace of the Sun in Kumsusan, where Kim Il-sung, founder of the regime, rests.

The former Minister of Justice wanted to clarify his comments after the controversy. “Of course, it’s a fictional story,” he wrote about the video game on Facebook, before recalling that the North Korean invasion of June 25, 1950 had indeed taken place and that the threat from Pyongyang against South Korea is “very real today”. Han Dong-hoon also expressed his disagreement with the recent reduction in joint military exercises with the United States. He also opposes the government's plan to transfer wartime command of South Korean forces, currently under American leadership, to Seoul. According to him, a too rapid transition, before South Korean military capabilities have been sufficiently assessed, could weaken the country's defense and compromise its security.

Other parties seize the controversy

The People Power Party, the main opposition party, also used the release of this video game to criticize the current leader of South Korea, in a video published last Wednesday, a member of the party promoted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The publication was accompanied by the following caption: “If you don't understand the dangers of North Korean provocations, at least try playing Call of Duty. Just watching game footage would show you how the president’s naive judgment could cause catastrophic damage to South Korea.”