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The 2005 Korean World Cup Team, seen here at the Incheon Airport on their way to Europe, may see screen time in North Korea. (Yeong Jong-do, Yonhap News)
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Korean media companies may foot bill
According to a May 30 statement by the Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC), The North Korean Broadcasting Commission made an official request to them for help in receiving television broadcasts of the World Cup Games in Germany next month.
The KBC, the Ministry of Unification and the Korea Football Association (KFA) are positively considering the request, for the purpose of furthering inter-Korea exchange and activating South-North cooperation at a humanitarian level. The KBC had previously accepted similar requests from North Korea for other international sports events, such as the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics and last year’s East Asian Football Federation Championship.
The KBC and Infront Sports & Media AG, a marketing agency of the International Football Federation (FIFA), are negotiating on the matter. To air World Cup matches in North Korea is possible technically, but the problem is the enormous fee which North Korea must pay to FIFA. The South Korean broadcasting companies paid 25 million USD to FIFA to secure rights to relay services for the World Cup games.
A KBC official said, "We are positively considering supporting the cost. We are also asking for [FIFA’s] cooperation by explaining that the North doesn’t intend to make profits by airing World Cup games."
