North Korea Excludes US, South Korea, Japan from World Cup Broadcasts
Quick Look
- North Korea's state media has excluded games involving South Korea, the US, and Japan from its coverage of the FIFA World Cup.
- The broadcasts, aired on Korean Central Television, omitted results from matches involving these nations, despite showing advertisements from South Korean and US companies.
- This exclusion follows North Korea's unauthorized broadcasting of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, leading to its apparent exclusion from current broadcasting rights.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
North Korea's state media has excluded games involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan from its coverage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. This follows an apparent exclusion from broadcasting rights after unauthorized broadcasts of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's state media excluded games involving South Korea, the United States and Japan from its apparently unauthorized coverage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup matches.
The North's state-run Korean Central Television aired four- to six-minute broadcasts on the results of the World Cup group-stage matches at the end of its daily evening newscasts from Monday through Thursday but excluded the results of games involving the three countries.
The North, however, aired footage that showed pitch-side advertising boards for South Korean and U.S. companies, such as Hyundai Motor Co., The Coca-Cola Company and McDonald's.
In the past, the North often blurred images related to South Korea and the U.S. in broadcasts of major sports events, such as advertising boards of companies from the two countries and the South Korean national flag.
The North Korean broadcaster included major scenes from the World Cup matches in its coverage, raising suspicions the North aired them without authorization.
North Korean state media outlets are not among the media rights licensees authorized by FIFA to broadcast the World Cup games.
The North appears to have been excluded from the broadcasting rights for the ongoing World Cup after it aired matches from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand without authorization.
The outlet has ceased broadcasting scenes from the ongoing World Cup since Friday.
Open Questions
- Will North Korea face further sanctions from FIFA?
- Will North Korea resume broadcasting World Cup matches?
