17.02.2025 11:10
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has banned the broadcasting of matches of the English Premier League team Tottenham in the country. This decision was reportedly made due to Tottenham Hotspur captain, South Korean Heung-min Son. The North Korean regime does not allow the broadcasting of any matches featuring players from neighboring South Korea.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has banned the broadcasting of Premier League team Tottenham's matches nationwide.
THOSE MATCHES HAD ALSO BEEN REMOVED FROM BROADCAST
Last year, matches featuring Hwang Hee-chan, who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and defender Kim Ji-soo, who played for Brentford, were also removed from broadcast. The North Korean regime does not allow the broadcasting of any matches featuring players from neighboring South Korea. It has been learned that this decision was made due to Tottenham Hotspur captain South Korean Heung-min Son.
BROADCASTING FOUR MONTHS LATER
It is reported that matches are broadcast on the state-controlled KCTV channel four months after they are played. This means that matches played last August were watched in January.
REDUCED FROM 90 MINUTES TO 60 MINUTES
The duration of the matches is shortened from 90 minutes to 60 minutes and is broadcast before news bulletins. These findings were included in a report by the 38 North project, which is affiliated with the independent U.S. think tank Stimson Center. The report stated that North Korean television programs are filled with propaganda, but sports broadcasts are one of the few rare moments when state television does not try to convey an open or covert message to viewers.
Martyn Williams, who worked on the report, said, "We did not conduct the research for a specific purpose; we just found it interesting. We saw a lot of football on KCTV. This is the biggest international sport they broadcast." The report also noted that in 2023, KCTV broadcast Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup matches.
The previous year, it was stated that matches from the English Premier League, as well as Germany's Bundesliga, Spain's La Liga, France's Ligue 1, and Italy's Serie A were also shown. However, it was reported that North Korea does not have the right to broadcast Premier League match highlights in real-time.
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