After Removing Son Heung-min from EPL Broadcast
Opening Ceremony Performance and Hyundai Advertisement Obscured by Jeongguk
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] North Korea broadcast the 2022 Qatar World Cup but pixelated the Taegukgi (South Korean flag) that appeared on the screen. This is interpreted as an attempt to hide South Korea's prominent position in the World Cup, a festival for people around the world. Previously, North Korea also excluded matches featuring Son Heung-min when airing English Premier League (EPL) games, and did not mention BTS member Jungkook's performance at the World Cup opening ceremony.
On the 23rd at around 10 p.m., Korean Central TV aired a recorded broadcast of the Group D first match between France and Australia held at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage.
In the stands, there were flags of various countries hung by fans, but Korean Central TV selectively corrected only the Taegukgi to gray. Additionally, advertisements for Hyundai Motor Company's electric vehicles 'IONIQ 5' and 'IONIQ 6' displayed on the stadium's surrounding billboards were also erased to be unrecognizable.
North Korea broadcasts the 2022 Qatar World Cup with Hyundai and Coca-Cola advertisements pixelated [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the same day at 4 p.m., Korean Central TV showed similar behavior during the recorded broadcast of the Group C first match between Saudi Arabia and Argentina. The grass field at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, where the match took place, featured advertisements from the world's largest beer company Anheuser-Busch's brand Budweiser, Chinese real estate conglomerate Wanda Group, South Korea's Hyundai Motor Company, and the American company Coca-Cola. Among these, only Hyundai and Coca-Cola were erased.
This appears to be an attempt to conceal from North Korean residents the fact that South Korean and American global companies hold such a position as to advertise at the World Cup, a festival for people worldwide. At one time, buses produced by Hyundai Motor Company frequently operated in the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, and it is known that residents there have some awareness of Hyundai's international status.
Typically, North Korean state media rarely report South Korea-related news that could threaten the regime. Even when airing EPL highlight scenes, matches featuring Son Heung-min are excluded, deliberately omitting the achievements of Korean players. When reporting on the Qatar World Cup opening ceremony, they did not mention BTS member Jungkook's performance at all.
Meanwhile, in January 2017, when North Korea reported on South Korea's candlelight protests, they used photos that pixelated South Korea's skyscrapers, government buildings, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, King Sejong, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin statues.
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