English Premier League fans around the world are excited to see Son Heung-Min's goals and last-minute comebacks. But football in North Korea looks very different.
State broadcaster KCTV has begun broadcasting Premier League matches, but with an unprecedented level of censorship and political control. Broadcasts are being delayed by months, and the standard 90 minutes have been cut to just 60. Every detail that doesn't meet the regime's "acceptable" standards is being cut out. Advertisements, graphics and even team logos have been either removed or replaced with Korean symbols and writing.
Tottenham, Wolverhampton and Brentford matches are not being shown at all. The reason? These clubs feature South Korean footballers - Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Ji-sung. North Korean censorship prevents even a cursory glance at South Korean sports idols, despite their global popularity. Even more puzzling is that North Korea does not have official rights to broadcast the Premier League. Analysts say the footage probably reaches Pyongyang via China or Russia. The Football League has so far remained silent, but questions about copyright and the ethics of such a practice are growing.
Where football unites nations, North Korea is turning it into another channel for ideological control. It is a reminder that even the world's most popular sport can be used as a tool for censorship - when the focus is not on the game but on the communist regime.