North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is actually a fan of Manchester United and especially likes to watch Wayne Rooney playing. (James Kieran Nguyen/flickr)
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — News reports said that Kim Jong-un, the strongman of the world’s most intriguing hermit kingdom, North Korea, is, interestingly, an avid fan of Manchester United and its superstar Wayne Rooney.
Some of Britain’s local news sources including Manchester’s local newspaper, “Manchester Evening News” and “Mirror” reported on August 27 that Kim Jong-un is actually a fan of Manchester United, in which retired South Korean star Park Ji-Sung had played for over eight years, and especially likes to watch Wayne Rooney playing.
The local news sources wrote that the supreme leader of the despotic state ordered its state-run television channel, “Chosun Central TV,” to broadcast English Premier League games, and also there may be a chance that other European major soccer league games, such as Bundesliga, will also be aired.
But it remains suspicious that the people of North Korea will be able to actually enjoy Premier League games in their homes.
It is a major shift to be able to watch European soccer matches in such a controlled and restricted media environment as in North Korea, and the colossal amount of broadcasting fee for the world’s poorest country may be an obstacle.
By J. H. Kim (jhkim@koreabizwire.com)
