The president of South Korea has been advised to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 by another politician to reflect on the country’s readiness against military threats. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 was released on October 23 and is quickly earning praise from fans, though not without some controversy surrounding its storyline.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s campaign mode imagines a world where North Korea invades South Korea’s Hajin City, sparking a full-scale conflict. The premise has sparked criticism, with some users arguing that the game draws from a real-life fear for the Korean Peninsula. Now, a South Korean politician has tapped into the Modern Warfare 4 debate and used the game as an example to reflect on the country’s strategic defenses.
South Korean Lawmaker Calls for Country’s President to Play Modern Warfare 4
As reported by The Korea Herald, independent South Korean lawmaker Han Dong-hoon took to Facebook to strongly advise the country’s president to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. In Han’s opinion, President Lee Jae-myung could learn a lesson from the game, as it depicts firsthand “what kind of devastation unfolds when defense preparedness falls short.” Han argued that South Korea’s military defenses should be better prepared in case of a surprise invasion from the North. “I hope the image of a Seoul reduced to ashes in the game remains in the realm of fiction,” he continued. Over the years, Call of Duty has accurately portrayed war scenarios, and Modern Warfare 4 specifically shows players the brutality of fighting in Korean trenches and the ruins left by a large-scale war.
The independent politician also disputed criticism against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and how it may increase hostility towards North Korea. He responded that the North did invade South Korea once in 1950 and its military threat remains “an undeniable reality today.” Han argues that, instead of condemning the game, the public should “focus on the question it poses” about South Korea’s readiness against a potential new invasion. The lawmaker then questioned President Lee’s administration’s security policy and the country’s reduction of joint Korea-US military exercises.
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This is not the first time that a politician has defended a Call of Duty title and its inspiration from real-life warfare. In 2014, after Activision was sued by former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega for using his likeness in Black Ops II, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani argued that Call of Duty has the right to depict and fictionalize human history. Reimagining and critiquing real-life political tensions is also one of the series’ strongest appeals among gamers. The Modern Warfare saga has been subject to controversy in the past for its portrayal of conflict, but it is unlikely that the successful saga will stop drawing from historical facts.
It has only been days since its launch, but Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has already received praise for its storyline. Not only because of its originality regarding a fictional war between two nations, but also for the continuation of Captain Price’s revenge. The developers have already teased what’s next in store for the game, with two new game modes releasing on October 29 and 30, and Season 1 officially kicking off on November 6.
- Released
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October 23, 2026
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
