North Korean TV took a risk by showing the country’s match against Portugal live in the early hours of Monday morning.
North Korea’s only television station showed footage of the Brazil v North Korea match a day after it happened, but took a gamble by showing the country’s match against Portugal live, in the hope that success on the pitch would incite the people’s pride.
The risk obviously didn’t pay off, with the match ending in a devastating 7-0 victory for Portugal.
“The Portuguese won the game and now have four points. We are ending our live broadcast now,” the Korean Central Broadcasting commentator said, before cutting to footage of factory workers praising North Korean ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong Il.
This was the first North Korean football match played abroad ever to air live in that country. Kim Jong Il normally maintains strict control over all media, and allows only one state-run TV channel, and bans foreign radio broadcasts and restricts internet access to only a small group of people.
