Yoon Tae-sung, center, a Korean businessman in Mexico, and his children react to the arrival of Korea's national football team outside the JW Marriott Hotel in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon
MONTERREY, Mexico — "Just seeing our national team makes my heart swell with pride. As people say these days, it's a real 'gukppong' moment."
As Korea's national football team arrived in Monterrey on Sunday (local time) for its final Group A match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, more than 100 members of the local Korean community, dressed in red, gathered outside the team's hotel hours before the players' arrival.
Despite temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius by 3:30 p.m., the fans waited patiently, chatting about the team, taking photos and eagerly anticipating the players' arrival. Their excitement easily outweighed the oppressive heat.
Local Korean residents and fans welcome members of the Korean national football team outside the JW Marriott Hotel in Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon
