In a surprising yet tightly controlled move, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has granted approval for the broadcast of English Premier League matches across the country — but under a stringent set of rules that would make even the most seasoned editors sweat.
According to The Guardian, the broadcasts will not air live. Instead, they will be heavily edited before reaching North Korean screens. Each match, originally 90 minutes, will be condensed to just 60 minutes, with the editing team instructed to remove “unnecessary or undesirable content.”
Among the strictest of the conditions is a total ban on showing any South Korean players. This means fans in Pyongyang will never see Brentford’s Kim Ji-soo or Wolves’ Hwang Hee-chan in action.
English text visible in the stadium — from advertising boards to scoreboard graphics — will also vanish. In its place, North Korean-designed visuals and patriotic banners will be inserted.
The censorship doesn’t stop there. Any footage displaying LGBTQ+ symbols, such as rainbow flags often seen in Premier League stadiums, will be cut entirely.
The move is being presented by state media as an “educational sporting initiative” designed to “showcase disciplined foreign athletes,” but analysts say it’s another example of Pyongyang’s obsession with controlling external influences.
While football enthusiasts in the isolated nation may welcome the chance to watch world-class talent — even on delay — it’s clear that North Korea’s version of the Premier League will be a heavily filtered spectacle, stripped of the diversity, spontaneity, and global spirit that make the sport what it is.
As one analyst put it: “It may be the Premier League — but only as Kim Jong-un wants it to be.”
Source:@Touchlinex
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