North Korea's Censorship: Editing Out South Korean Athletes from Broadcasts

North Korea's state-run broadcaster, KCTV, has once again showcased its stringent censorship by altering a key moment from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The network blurred the face and jersey number of South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in during his penalty goal, reflecting a broader trend of erasing South Korean athletes' achievements from broadcasts. This article delves into the longstanding issue of censorship in North Korean sports media, where significant moments involving South Korean players are often concealed or reframed. Discover how this practice affects the portrayal of sports in a country where ideological control reigns supreme.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 24, 2025, 21:15 IST

Censorship in North Korean Sports Broadcasting

North Korea's state broadcaster, Korean Central Television (KCTV), has once again demonstrated its strict censorship practices by altering a significant moment from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. During a delayed airing of the match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Atlético Madrid, the crucial penalty goal scored by South Korean midfielder Lee Kang-in was heavily edited.

The match, which took place at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, was shown on KCTV five days after it occurred. By that time, PSG had already established a solid 3-0 lead. In stoppage time, Atlético Madrid committed a handball, leading to a penalty for PSG. Lee Kang-in successfully converted this opportunity in the 97th minute, marking his first goal of the tournament. However, North Korean viewers experienced a different version of events.

KCTV obscured Lee's face and jersey number during the goal celebration. The broadcast did not mention his name at all, merely stating that PSG had triumphed over Atlético Madrid. This erasure aligns with a broader trend in North Korean media, where significant achievements by South Korean athletes are often hidden or entirely omitted.

A Longstanding Issue

This practice is not a recent development. Matches featuring South Korean players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Lee Kang-in are frequently altered or skipped in broadcasts. KCTV typically airs international football matches shortly before its 5 p.m. news, focusing primarily on leagues like the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League. However, censorship becomes apparent whenever a South Korean athlete is prominently featured.

In instances where it is unavoidable to show a match, KCTV blurs not only the players' faces but also national flags and graphics. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the previous year's AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup, the South Korean flag was pixelated, and the national team was referred to derogatorily as the 'puppet South Korean team' by the regime's media.

The North Korean media landscape is tightly controlled by the ruling Workers' Party, and sports content is no exception. Football, a sport that typically fosters unity among nations, is manipulated as a tool for ideological control. While fans globally celebrate individual talent, North Korea ensures that any success by South Korean players is either erased or reframed.

Continued Censorship in Premier League Broadcasts

In January 2025, KCTV began airing selected Premier League matches from the 2024/25 season. However, reports from the US-based platform 38 North indicate that these broadcasts were subject to 'heavy-handed intervention' by censors in Pyongyang. Consequently, clubs featuring South Korean stars remain largely invisible on North Korean television. While Lee Kang-in's goal in the Club World Cup may have made headlines around the world, for KCTV's audience, it simply did not occur.