N.Korean WC feed in doubt over warship sinking

South Korea is unlikely to offer North Korea a free TV feed of the World Cup, which features a rare appearance by a team from the North, given tension over the sinking of a warship, officials said Tuesday.

The impoverished North enjoyed free broadcasts of the 2006 tournament with support from the then-liberal government in the South.

But SBS, the South Korean broadcaster with rights to the event, said talks on a possible free feed this year had stopped in the wake of the unexplained sinking in March of a South Korean naval ship near the countries’ sea border.

This year’s tournament, which starts next month, will be closely followed in the North since it is the first time since 1966 that the impoverished communist state has qualified.

“The most important factor to consider is public sentiment,” an SBS official handling the World Cup told AFP, asking for anonymity.

“The sinking of the ship has worsened cross-border relations, which has halted talks on offering North Korea possible free World Cup broadcasts.”

Those talks are unlikely to resume any time soon, the official added.

An unexplained explosion tore the 1,200-tonne corvette in two near the disputed Yellow Sea border on March 26, with the loss of 46 lives. Suspicions are growing that a torpedo from the North was to blame.

The North had demanded a free feed from SBS during talks in Beijing last August and in January, the official added.

In 2006 the South’s government spent 150 million won (132,600 dollars) to help the North enjoy free World Cup broadcasts.

The South’s unification ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, had no immediate comment.

“Considering the North?s latest series of provocations, our government believes that it must pay an appropriate price after proper negotiations that abide by international regulations,” an unnamed ministry official told JoongAng Ilbo newspaper.