National flags fluttered and chants rang out, from city squares to pubs and parks across South Korea on Friday, as fans rallied behind the Taegeuk Warriors against Mexico.
With the top spot in Group A up for grabs, Thursday night's match being played in Zapopan, western Mexico, kicked off locally at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square was awash in red on Friday, as nearly 20,000 supporters gathered to cheer on the national team, waving national flags and chanting “Daehan Minguk,” a popular rallying cry among Korean soccer fans.
According to Seoul's real-time population density data, roughly 18,000 people had assembled around Gwanghwamun Square by 10 a.m.
Despite temperatures climbing above 26 degrees Celsius, supporters continued cheering while shielding themselves from the sun and heat with arm sleeves, bucket hats, handheld fans and sunglasses.
To ensure safety during the street cheering events, police deployed six riot police units, some 400 metropolitan patrol officers, a police special operations squad and explosive detection dogs at key locations across central Seoul, including Gwanghwamun Square, according to news reports.
Even pubs, typically busiest in the evening, transformed into brunch spots amid the World Cup fever.
A man surnamed Lee, who runs a fried chicken restaurant in Daegu, began preparing for business at 8 a.m. to cater to fans gathering at a nearby park for a public viewing event.
"Delivery orders started coming in even before kickoff. Some of our regular customers said they never thought they'd be eating chicken for brunch," he said. "If Korea wins, I'm going to offer free drinks."
Some municipal festival sites also turned into World Cup cheering grounds.
At the ongoing Gangneung Danoje Festival, one of Korea's oldest traditional festivals, visitors and local residents gathered in an open plaza along the Namdae Stream to watch the game and cheer on the Taegeuk Warriors.
With a history spanning more than a millennium, the festival was designated a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005. It is renowned for its Confucian rites, shamanic gut rituals and bustling open-air market. The festival runs through Monday.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
