People cheer after Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the go-ahead goal during Korea's opening group stage match against the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Cheers echoed across Gwanghwamun Square on Friday, as thousands of citizens gathered to watch the national team’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against the Czech Republic, celebrating a dramatic comeback victory.
With a World Cup match being played in broad daylight for the first time in 24 years since Korea co-hosted the 2002 tournament, more than 10,000 people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square for a public cheering event.
Fans wearing the Red Devils' trademark color gathered alongside families, soldiers, office workers and foreign tourists, turning the square into a festival-like venue as cheers erupted throughout the match.
Kim Hyun-jung, a 33-year-old office worker, hurried to the square with two colleagues as soon as their lunch break began, carrying a box of fried chicken in one hand. They weren't the only ones to do so.
