North Korean football fans are getting a taste of the English Premier League (EPL), but not in the way the rest of the world sees it. Recent investigations reveal that the country’s state broadcaster, Korean Central Television (KCTV), has been airing heavily edited versions of EPL matches under strict conditions that reshape both the length and the content of the games.
While the broadcasts offer rare glimpses of international football to North Korean audiences, they come with significant censorship and modification that reflect the tightly controlled nature of the country’s media.
Matches Cut Down to 60 Minutes
Instead of the standard 90-minute format, KCTV’s version of Premier League fixtures is edited down to roughly 60 minutes. Research groups such as 38 North have confirmed that large portions of gameplay, analysis, and downtime are cut to create a shortened highlight-style program. The purpose appears to be both editorial control and fitting foreign content into state-determined broadcast slots.
Delayed and Selective Broadcasting
North Korean viewers do not watch the Premier League in real-time. Matches are aired weeks or even months after they take place, with only a small percentage of total fixtures making it onto the national broadcaster. How KCTV obtains the footage remains unclear, but there is no evidence of any official licensing agreement with the Premier League.
English Stadium Text Replaced
Any English language signage or graphics visible in the stadium, whether on advertising boards, scoreboard overlays, or broadcast graphics — is removed or covered with North Korean text. In many scenes, Korean language graphics simply sit on top of the original feed, effectively erasing foreign branding.
South Korean Players Are Edited Out
One of the most consistent censorship practices involves removing footage of South Korean players. Matches involving teams with South Korean stars such as Hwang Hee-chan (Wolvess), Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), and Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) are either excluded entirely or edited so that the players do not appear on screen. Analysts believe this aligns with North Korea’s long-standing information restrictions regarding South Korea.
Removal of LGBTQ+ Symbols
North Korean broadcasts also strip out any content containing LGBTQ+ symbols, including rainbow flags typically displayed by fans in Premier League stadiums. This aligns with the country’s broader censorship policies toward foreign political or social messaging.
A Controlled Window Into Global Football
Despite the layers of editing and censorship, these broadcasts still offer North Koreans a rare window into international football. However, what they see is not the Premier League as the world knows it, but a carefully reconstructed version shaped to fit state priorities. In the end, the coverage says less about the action on the pitch and more about how tightly North Korea manages the flow of global culture, even when the subject is just the beautiful game.
