According to a recent report, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un has prohibited the nation from watching three Premier League teams. For a long time, the dictator has made sure that a large portion of the television programming that is broadcast nationwide is propaganda-driven. Sport, however, provides a unique respite from state-controlled propaganda while also allowing fans to learn about local sports cultures.
However, Jong-Un has ensured that some of his political policies affect the country’s Premier League football viewing, which is why the three teams will not be televised.
Tottenham One of Three Teams Banned From North Korean TV’s
Brentford and Wolves are also prohibited from being seen
Tottenham, Wolves, and Brentford are the three Premier League teams that are banned on North Korean television screens, according to findings from the Washington-based Stimson Center’s 38 North study, as reported by The Mirror. This is because each club has one South Korean player, and North Korea does not want to promote players from that country because of the ongoing political tension between the two countries.
Son Heung-min, who is arguably the best Asian player in Premier League history, is undoubtedly the most well-known of these names. The captain of South Korea and Tottenham has made 324 appearances in the English Premier League, tallying 69 assists and 126 goals.
Regarding the other two teams, Hwang Hee-chan, a striker who had one of the most remarkable ascents of any player during the 2023–24 season, plays for Molineux. Kim Ji-soo, a 20-year-old who made his Premier League debut for Brentford this year, is another member of the team.
Interestingly, the report claims that North Korea has no right to broadcast Premier League action and is violating copyright laws in doing so, that the matches are broadcast four months behind schedule (the season begins in January), that games are shortened from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, and that the KCTV channel, which is watched by an estimated 26 million people each week and is the primary international sport broadcast in the region, airs the matches just before the 5pm news.
