So apparently FIFA sold exclusive rights to broadcast World Cup Games in the Koreas to a...

...South Korean company (SBS - apparently, the only major South Korean private television broadcaster), but North and South Korea are both represented in the upcoming World Cup. And, of course, with transmission to North Korea requiring government approval, SBS, it looks like North Koreans won't get to watch the games after all... (I think in the World Cup qualifiers between North and South Korea, the match that was originally scheduled to be played in North Korea had to be played in China as the North wouldn't allow the South to raise their flag)...

And, they are "planning to resume negotiations" - a common phrase heard in Korean newspapers about North Korea or actually anything to do with North Korea... But, resume negotiations makes it sound so much more serious than it really is...

Well, look at how poor it makes North Korea look.

(Lee Tae-hoon | Korea Times):

[...]
``In view of the North's recent provocative postures against the South, it is the government position that the North must pay an appropriate price to SBS for the broadcast rights under internationally accepted norms,'' an official at the Ministry of Unification said. He also did not rule out the possibility of banning broadcasts even after SBS and the North reach a formal agreement, saying that the government may have to reject any request to transmit games to the North for political reasons.

``We did not ask the North to make nuclear bombs and be belligerent,'' he said.

SBS is planning to resume negotiations and conclude the deal later this month or early next month at the latest.

North Korea received a free feed from the games of the 2006 World Cup in Germany during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, which practiced a more engaging policy than that of incumbent President Lee Myung-bak.

The expenses of the 150 million won ($132,600) in transmissions were covered by the inter-Korean cooperation fund and broadcast development fund."

Yea, of course, SBS is probably going to, well, lose some money. But, check that figure out: $132,600... The "free" feed in 2006 was $132,600. Seriously, how is it that people can defend North Korea?