Citizens fill up Gwanghwamun Square, Friday, rooting for Team Korea for the 2026 World Cup. (Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald) “Who are we so proud of? South Korea!”The chant rolled through Gwanghwamun Square on Friday morning, carried by drumbeats from the Red Devils and answered by fans in red shirts as South Korea opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Czech Republic.The match kicked off at 11 a.m. in Korea, a rare weekday morning start that turned the square in central Seoul into a lunchtime stadium.Office workers, students, families and international fans gathered around the large screens near the KT building and the statue of King Sejong, some arriving hours before kickoff to claim a spot under the June sun. Yasin Kose from Turkey visits Gwanghwamun Square to root for Team Korea in the 2026 World Cup. (Cha Min-jung/The Korea Herald) “I hope Oh plays today and scores a lot of goals for Korea,” said Yasin Kose, a 40-year-old soccer fan from Turkey, who joined the crowd to support Oh Hyeon-gyu after the Korean forward moved to Istanbul’s Besiktas J.K. in February.“Turkish and Korean people are like brothers. That’s why I’m here — to see how Koreans feel, to feel the atmosphere and to support,” he said.The cheering area around Gwanghwamun was divided into six sections, with the Korea Football Association, KT and the Red Devils estimating that up to 6,000 people were in the designated cheering zone.Seoul’s real-time city data showed between 12,000 and 14,000 people in the wider Gwanghwamun Square area as of noon. Song In-ho, a 10-year-old boy, came to Gwanghwamun Square to root for Team Korea in the 2026 World Cup. (Cha Min-jung/The Korea Herald) For 10-year-old Song In-ho, the morning start was not a problem. He came to the square with his father after arriving at 9:30 a.m., skipping school to watch the match with the crowd. The heat left him drenched in sweat, but not short of confidence.“My favorite player is Son,” he said, referring to national team captain Son Heung-min. “Fighting, Son!”For Korean fans, Gwanghwamun Square is more than a public viewing venue.The plaza and nearby streets became symbolic ground for mass cheering during the 2002 World Cup, when South Korea made its historic run to the semifinals.The Seoul Metropolitan Government deployed more than 190 safety personnel and 115 police officers for crowd control and safety management, while capping the designated cheering zone at 6,000 people. Kim Ha-eun and Kim Ha-young sisters traveled from Jeonju and joined Gwanghwamun Square to root for Team Korea in 2026 World Cup. (Cha Min-jung/The Korea Herald) Sisters Kim Ha-eun, 24, and Kim Ha-young, 23, traveled from Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, wearing Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC uniforms. The sisters had different favorite players — Ha-eun picked Kim Jin-gyu, while Ha-young named Cho Wi-je — but they shared the same hope for Korea.“Mexico beat South Africa earlier, so we need a win today,” Ha-eun said. “Goals from Jeonbuk players would mean a lot to us.”Ha-young said Korea would have to be smart against the Czech Republic’s physical style.“We heard the Czech Republic players are very physical,” she said. “It would be good for our players to score from a header or a set piece.”Ha-eun added, “We need a strong defense against the Czech Republic’s attacks.” Vojtech Pulkrab from the Czech Republic holds his national flag at the Gwanghwamun Square rally, rooting for Team Czech Republic in the 2026 World Cup. (Cha Min-jung/The Korea Herald) Czech Republic fans also joined the crowd, celebrating their country’s return to the World Cup after a 20-year absence.“We are very proud. Finally, we are here,” said Vojtech Pulkrab, a 24-year-old student from the Czech Republic who came with friends to support his team.His favorite player, he said, was Patrik Schick.“I think we are going to score two headers,” he said. During the match, he and his friends planned to shout, “Cesi do toho (Let’s go, Czech Republic)!”