K-League to Be Broadcast in China

K-league, or Korean pro soccer league will be broadcast in China.

Guangdong TV (GDTV) of China will offer live broadcasts of the K-league twice a week from August 23.

GDTV and the Korean Professional Football League (KPFL) were negotiating details on August 17.

It is first time that K-league games will be relayed abroad in the 23-year history of K-league soccer.

Only Star TV of Japan and Hong Kong have broadcast highlights of K-league games once before 2001 so far.

Guangdong TV is the biggest broadcasting company in Guangdong district, which has about 5.0 million customers. GDTV will broadcast K-league games through a newly established soccer channel, as well as J-league of Japan and 2nd league of German Bundesliga games. GDTV already has broadcast Premier League of England and Bundesliga of Germany games.

KPFL is to cooperate with GDTV as much as possible, offering the service at real cost upon the judgment that it will be a golden opportunity to expose foreigners to the K-league. It costs about 3.0 million won to 5.0 million won to emit a two-hour game abroad through satellite.

GDTV is busy preparing broadcasting, like appointing a commentator of K-league action.

“Chinese people were only enthusiastic about European soccer games, but are becoming more interested in other leagues like K-league and J-league,” said Zhu Li-yu, who is an expert soccer reporter and commentator of K-league soccer. “We are looking for other routes to export K-league games to America and Europe, too,” an official of the KPFL said.

jaeyuna@donga.com