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| A football fan holds the national flag at Seoul Square, Monday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Thousands of South Koreans took to the streets on Monday in Seoul to cheer their national squad as the South Korean team launches its World Cup campaign.
Police said an estimated 10,000 fans joined the mass street cheering in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square for South Korea's meeting with Sweden in their Group F opener. A 500-inch screen was installed at Gwanghwamun Square, and performances by local recording artists fired up the crowd prior to the match.
Some fans banged drums, while others erupted into deafening cheers when their team made a shot attempt.
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| Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
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| Korea Times photo by Lee Suh-yoon |
A 38-year-old office worker, who gave only his surname Suh, said he joined the street cheering, hoping that the South Korean team would beat Sweden.
Besides Gwanghwamun Square, other major public places drew thousands of fans who wore red shirts ― the national soccer team's signature color.
This year's World Cup fever, however, appears to be not so high, and the event has been overshadowed by political and diplomatic events here.
While the fans will be partying like it's 2002 ― when street cheering for World Cup matches first took root here, with South Korea, as co-host with Japan, reaching the semifinals ― it's doubtful the team on the field will be able to match the feat from 16 years ago.
At No. 57, South Korea is the lowest-ranked team in Group F and will be underdogs in every match. Their lackluster performances heading into the World Cup haven't inspired much confidence in the increasingly skeptical and cynical fan base. (Yonhap)
