South Korea's first open training session drew a massive crowd, with fans pouring in — particularly to catch a glimpse of Son Heung-min — underscoring the global star's worldwide appeal.
The national team has set up its official World Cup base camp at Chivas Valle Verde, the dedicated training facility of CD Guadalajara, and began full preparations on June 6, when more than 800 spectators turned out to watch the squad's first open session.
Held as part of FIFA's "Community Training" program, the event drew mostly local Mexican fans, making it a notable sight at the camp.
Attendees entered clutching miniature South Korean flags handed out at the gate and wearing name tags that read "We Are Guadalajara."
Fans flocked to see stars playing for some of the world's top clubs — Son Heung-min (LAFC), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) among them — with added interest stemming from Mexico's status as a group-stage opponent.
Media interest inside and outside the venue matched the intensity of the tournament itself. A large contingent of local Mexican journalists attended head coach Hong Myung-bo's official pre-training press conference.
South Korea and Mexico are scheduled to meet in their World Cup group-stage match on June 19 at 10 a.m. local time.
dlcw@heraldcorp.com
