South Korean president urged to play Call of Duty as war wake-up call

Key facts

• Opposition lawmakers urged President Lee Jae Myung to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
• The game depicts a surprise North Korean invasion of South Korea.
• Lawmakers criticized the administration's security policy and reduced joint US-South Korea military exercises.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has been urged by opposition lawmakers to play the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 to better understand the need for defense preparedness against a potential North Korean invasion. The game, released on Friday, portrays a surprise attack on Seoul and subsequent battles. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon criticized the administration's security policy, including its stance on North Korea's nuclear weapons and scaled-back joint military exercises. He suggested playing the game would illustrate the devastation of inadequate defense. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young stated that video games are protected forms of creative expression and not subject to censorship.