Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) has appeared in international news.
North Korea's state broadcaster "Korean Central Television" aired a recorded broadcast of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Group B match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Atlético Madrid on the 20th (Korean time).
Lee Kang-in, who scored a penalty here, became the first Korean player to score in the Club World Cup. Thanks to Lee Kang-in's performance, PSG won 4-0. PSG will face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the round of 16 on the 30th.
However, Korean Central Television pixelated Lee Kang-in, who scored the goal. To hide from the North Korean residents that Lee Kang-in is a Korean player, they obscured both his face and jersey number. The idea is that a Korean player scoring in a big club of the French league could give North Koreans a sense of discomfort.
The scene, capturing the subtle situation between North and South Korea, attracted attention from foreign media. The American outlet MSN covered Lee Kang-in during their international news segment. This outlet noted, "Lee Kang-in, a player from the Korean national team, scored in the Club World Cup. While North Korean broadcasting covered this, they obscured his face and name. They did not reveal Lee Kang-in's name."
Abroad, the isolated North Korea was viewed with curiosity for broadcasting a game where a South Korean player performed. The outlet added, "Korean Central Television usually broadcasts sports events at 5 p.m. They also cover Premier League matches. However, games featuring South Korean players Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan with Tottenham and Wolverhampton are heavily censored or outright deleted. Nevertheless, North Korean fans secretly admire Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan."
In the end, no matter how much the North Korean authorities try to hide it, even North Korean fans know how well players of the Korean national team, such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Hwang Hee-chan, are performing abroad.
North Korea did not properly convey the scenes of the Korean national team reaching the semifinals in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup either. The global achievements Korea has made in sports work to the disadvantage of North Korea.
[OSEN]