South Korea's most-anticipated World Cup qualifier of the current campaign, set to kick off in Pyongyang, will not be broadcast live to a South Korean audience, broadcasters here said Monday.
On Tuesday, North Korea hosts the South-North match for the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at 5:30 p.m. at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital.
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(Yonhap) |
It is a rare sports exchange between the two sides at a time of heightened tensions on the divided peninsula following a series of North Korean provocations.
The North, however, has remained silent on South Korea's offer to discuss the issues of sending a cheering squad and of broadcasting the game live.
"The live broadcast of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Stadium fell apart," said South Korea's three major terrestrial TV networks -- KBS, MBC and SBS.
As a result, South Koreans have to follow online commentary on FIFA, the international football governing body, or Asian Football Confederation (AFC) websites, which only provide information on goal scorers and substitutions.
The North's previous World Cup qualifier against Lebanon, held in Pyongyang on Sept. 5, was broadcast on North Korean TV a day later. (Yonhap)
