`Visit North Korea` has signed a sponsorship deal with Vanarama National League North club Blyth Spartans.
Adverts displayed during the club’s Boxing Day match against Spennymoor Town were shared on social media and there is a `Visit North Korea` banner in the club’s stadium.
An announcement about the deal was published in the club’s match programme on the same day.
Blyth`s commercial manager Mark Scott said the sponsorship deal involved the club’s “most unique pitch side advertising board to date”.
He said: “Having seen the recent Michael Palin documentary I was certainly interested by the country, despite negative views on the country’s politics.”
A statement on the tourist board’s official website said: “`Visit North Korea` is pleased to announce a sponsorship deal with English football club Blyth Spartans FC.”
Visit North Korea’s Tom Fowdy said the deal’s aim was to generate publicity: “We’d like to do more in the future with Blyth Spartans and potentially other clubs but it’s a great place for us to make a start in promoting travel to North Korea as a means of positive engagement”.