The K-League is hoping to build off the popularity of South Korea’s film and music exports, including Oscar-winning Parasite and K-pop bands such as BTS and Blackpink, according to Twitter.

Watch the K-League live:

“We look forward to sharing the K-League's high level of football with the rest of the world to help fans get their fill of new matches and overcome Covid-19 at home together,” said Twitter’s Kim Yeon-jeong.

Friday’s game kicks off at 7pm KST (6pm Hong Kong time) from the Jeonju World Cup Stadium, with English commentary coming from A-League’s Simon Hill. Fresh-faced fans can gen up on the context of the game by turning to the K League United podcast, made by the team responsible for the K-League’s official English-language content.

With English-language coverage and commentary is the K-League about to go mainstream?

“It would seem so,” K-League United’s Ryan Walters said, “at least on a temporary basis. My hope is that actually watching the matches takes the fascination past a novel curiosity and into an appreciation of the players and teams in this league”

“I’m not sure people are going to choose it over EPL any time soon,” KLU’s Matthew Binns said, “but we did see the league increase in popularity last year with the biggest attendances in several seasons. It is unlikely that record can be surpassed this year given the situation, but there’s no reason why people’s appetite should have subsided.”

“K-League becoming appreciated for qualities that we see in it is all I hope,” KLU’s Paul Neat added. “Who knows? Perhaps 10 years from now we’ll see kids wearing Daejeon Hana Citizen shirts all around the world.”

Neat suggested that the new focus on the K-League might see South Korean internationals return, while Binns pointed to the under-23 team winning the AFC age group tournament as a reason why “the K-League has the foundations set to surge in popularity, even if only on a domestic or continental front”.

Whether world viewing figures are set to be broken, surely this is the time that the K-League has its most watched match?

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“Quite possibly,” Neat said. “And I do wonder if the players are thinking about the global reach the match will have.” Walters agreed: “The pressure on this match is enormous, and the players should be excited to be in the spotlight.

“The evening kick-off is ideal for fans in the UK and Europe to watch, 11am in the UK and early afternoon in much of Europe,” Neat said. “Friday night football was brought in last season with each team having at least one Friday night match. This one is set to be the most watched yet.”

“The time is ideal,” Binns added. “Plus they have chosen two of Asia’s biggest teams with a number of faces that could be recognisable internationally in Kim Bo-kyung, Lee Dong-gook, Adam Taggart and Doneil Henry. Let’s just hope they entertain!”

The German Bundesliga has already taken some of the K-League’s thunder by announcing a return to action this month, but the earliest possible return is May 15. The K-League has a head start, but will it be able to keep the new fans?

“There are interesting rivalries and storylines and you don’t have to watch just one league,” Neat said. “We are approaching summer here in Korea and so most kick-off times will be at sociable hours for a lot of time zones. When European football returns, there will be nothing stopping people from watching K-League before they watch European football.”

Walters pointed to the underdog nature compared to Europe’s “Big Five” and its accessibility. “The players are happy to talk to fans and engage in ways players in the top five leagues just don’t (whether on social media or in person). I think people can actually feel a part of it as opposed to supporting as an outsider.”

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“This league has a surprising amount to offer, but people both in and out of the country need to give it a fair chance,” Binns said of a league that “could certainly hold its own against some of the smaller European divisions”.

“I suppose it is like starting a Football Manager save with a league you haven’t played in before,” Neat said. “At first there’s the novelty but after a while you become engrossed in it.”