Kim Jong Un will regret it? Strange North Korea Bans Overseas Soccer Broadcasting...I can't see Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Ji-soo besides Son Heung-min

Feb 15, 2025

Everton's Idrissa Gueye, left, and James Tarkowski, second left, tackle Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-Min, center, during the English Premier League soccer match between FC Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, in Liverpool, England, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP) UNITED KINGDOM OUT; NO SALES; NO ARCHIVE; PHOTOGRAPH MAY NOT BE STORED OR USED FOR MORE THAN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF TRANSMISSION; MANDATORY CREDIT

<저작권자(c) Yonhap News, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>

'Son Heung-min wasn't the only one banned?'

While North Korea is increasing its hostility towards South Korea, it has been argued that regulations on the overseas performance of South Korean soccer players are also increasing.

Initially, it was known that South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min was banned from broadcasting Tottenham's game on North Korean airwaves, but there are more teams that are banned.

On the 15th (Korea time), British media 'The Sun' reported exclusively that North Korean State Councilor Kim Jong-un, who is banning the Tottenham game from airing in North Korea, is also banning two other teams in the English Premier League (EPL).

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Blackburn Rovers v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Ewood Park, Blackburn, Britain - February 9, 2025 Wolverhampton Wanderers'Matthewus Cunhacelebrates scoring their second goal with Wolverhampton Wanderers'Hwang Hee-chan REUTERS/Phil Novle

The Sun, which describes Kim Jong-un as a 'tyrant', said that North Korea regulates the broadcast of overseas soccer for reasons that it cannot understand, and that games involving players and teams from neighboring countries (South Korea), which the North Korean regime hates, cannot be seen in North Korea. He added that Son Heung-min of South Korea is in charge of Tottenham's captaincy.

According to the report on the EPL in North Korea last year, the game between Wolverhampton, where Hwang Hee-chan belongs, and Brentford, where Kim Ji-soo belongs, was not introduced. The source of the claim is the North Korean investigation report by the U.S. think tank 'Stimson Center'.

The results of the study suggest that KCTV (Korea Central Television) usually broadcasts overseas soccer league games before the 5 p.m. news, but ordinary North Koreans cannot access Tottenham's games.

Kim Ji-soo. Brentford SNS capture

North Korea's broadcast time of overseas soccer games has been shortened from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, which will be aired before the news, and even that game was played four months ago, according to the explanation of 'The Sun'.

In an interview with 'Stimson Center' researcher Martin Williams "It was an interesting investigation. KCTV broadcasts major international sports, such as soccer. "North Korea's state-run TV is full of regime propaganda, but sports are one of the few moments when they fail to deliver explicit or fundamental propaganda messages."

The report also added that in 2022, KCTV broadcasted the EPL, Germany's Bundesliga, Spain's La Liga, France's League 1, and Italy's Serie A, but in 2023, it was limited to the EPL, UEFA Champions League, and World Cup.

"'The Sun' is known to be a fan of Manchester United, with former Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro being an Arsenal fan, and Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019, rooting for Chelsea. The match between Manchester United and Tottenham will be held on the 17th. Kim Jong-un also added, 'He may regret banning Tottenham from broadcasting the game.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.