North Korea blurs Lee Kang-in out of its Club World Cup broadcast

Pyongyang’s Korean Central Television on Friday blurred a moment when South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) scored during its broadcast of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television blurred South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in in its broadcast on June 20. [KOREA CENTRAL TV]

Pyongyang’s Korean Central Television (KCTV) on Friday blurred a moment when South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) scored during its broadcast of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The North Korean broadcaster aired a game between PSG and Spanish football club Atlético Madrid five days after it took place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles last Sunday.

In the 97th minute, with PSG leading 3–0, a handball by an Atlético defender resulted in a penalty shot, with which Lee claimed his first goal. Pyongyang’s broadcaster blurred Lee’s number and face during the shot, briefly explaining that PSG had won over Atlético Madrid, without mentioning who had scored.

KCTV usually airs sports games one or two hours before its news program begins at 5 p.m.

Though it usually televises Premier League and Champions League games played in Europe, it often excludes games starring South Korean footballers such as Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Lee.

As the regime’s ruling Workers' Party dictates televised programs and contents, it appears that Pyongyang’s authorities do not want to showcase the accomplishments of South Korean athletes to its public.

KCTV also pixelated the South Korean flag when it televised the 2022 World Cup and the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup last year. The broadcaster also referred to the squad as a “puppet South Korean team.”

BY JANG GU-SEUL [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]