U.S. cable channel to televise K-League every week

SEOUL, May 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top football league will be broadcast live every weekend by a U.S. sports cable channel for the first time in history, the league's secretariat said Monday.
America One, a U.S. cable network, has decided to have a live telecast of one selected game for each round of the 2011 season, after securing exclusive North American rights to South Korea's top-tier professional football league, the K-League, earlier this month, the K-League said in a release.
The games will be available on television, the Internet and mobile devices, it added. The 16-team K-League runs 30 rounds. Matches for the 10th round took place over the weekend.
"It's part of our overseas marketing efforts to deliver quality Korean football to foreign fans," said Park Sung-kyun from the K-League secretariat.
The U.S. TV station, focusing on Asian football, expects that its coverage will help U.S. fans enjoy Korean football, according to the K-League. America One televised January's 2011 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup tournament.
The South Korean league is recognized as one of the most competitive football leagues in Asia. It has produced many outstanding players who have moved to European leagues, including Lee Chung-yong, who went from FC Seoul to the English Premier League's Bolton Wanderers.
brk@yna.co.kr