Hundreds of fans are gathered at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square to cheer for Korea in its 2026 World Cup opening Group A match against the Czech Republic, Friday. Yonhap
Hundreds of fans were gathered at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on Friday to cheer for Korea in its 2026 World Cup opening Group A match against the Czech Republic.
With the game scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m., around 500 people had come to the plaza in central Seoul as of 9 a.m., according to an unofficial police estimate. Many were carrying umbrellas to beat the heat, as the day's highest temperature was forecast to reach around 30 degrees Celsius.
Street cheering has become a trend and phenomenon frequently seen at major social events since Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when hundreds of thousands or even millions of people filled the streets of major cities, including Gwanghwamun Square, to cheer for the national team.
Fans cheer at Gwanghwamun Square for Korea in its 2026 World Cup opening Group A match against the Czech Republic, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
