North Korean television aired the opening match of the men’s soccer World Cup which kicked off in Qatar on Monday KST, underscoring the continued importance of the game to the country and opening a rare window to the outside world for North Koreans, albeit with some restrictions.

Korean Central Television (KCTV) broadcast the entire Qatar-Ecuador game on Tuesday morning, having earlier reported briefly on the match and the opening ceremony in its Monday night news bulletin. 

North Korea is not participating in the World Cup, having withdrawn from qualifyingrounds while its borders remained closed due to COVID-19. But as