Fans take leave, bring homework and camp overnight to catch a weekday morning kickoff
![Fans enjoy a pre-match performance by idol group Cortis at the outdoor fan zone set up at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday, ahead of South Korea's 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against the Czech Republic. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/12/rcv.YNA.20260612.PYH2026061204850001301_P1.jpg)
"I love football so much I took a day off to be here. Back in 2002 I cheered from inside the stadium — today I'm joining the street rally. I believe in this team," said Baek Seung-gu, an office worker who made his way to Gwanghwamun Square.
Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, buzzed with excitement Friday morning ahead of South Korea's opening Group A match against the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. KT Corp, the national team's official partner, along with the Korea Football Association and the Red Devils supporters' group, organized the fan zone, which featured a main stage, a giant media wall, cheering platforms and delay screens.
Gates opened at 6 a.m., drawing football fans who had staked out spots since early morning, office workers who had taken annual leave and families with elementary school children on field-trip excuses. The designated cheering zone in front of the main stage, with capacity for 500 to 600 people, was more than half full within 20 minutes of opening. Organizers expected around 6,000 people to gather at the Gwanghwamun fan zone throughout the day.
By shortly after 8 a.m., the area in front of the main stage was effectively full. As entry was restricted, some fans moved to nearby spaces, including Gamsa-ui Jeongwon garden. The overall atmosphere at Gwanghwamun Square was calmer than expected, however. A woman in her 50s surnamed Lee, who had traveled up from Daejeon with her elementary school-age child, said, "The news said thousands would show up, so I came early — but there are fewer people than I thought."
The unusual timing of a weekday morning match reshaped how fans chose to watch. Many took annual leave or arranged field trips to join the square. Yang Jeong-hwa, 38, arrived with her 7-year-old child, carrying a picnic mat and a folding chair. "I took a day off because I wanted to give my child a lasting memory," she said. "We plan to cheer while enjoying it like a picnic."
Hong, 32, who runs a restaurant in Hongdae, showed up with a part-time employee, both wearing Red Devils headbands. "I have to be at work by 3 p.m.," he said, "but I still wanted to cheer for the national team, so I'm planning to watch the match and head straight to work."
Kim Min-gyun, 20, a student at Dongguk University, had been holding his spot at the square since 10:30 p.m. the previous night with classmates. "I haven't slept — I kept watching from the Mexico-South Africa match onward," he said. "I really hope the team shows great teamwork and wins."
Many fans also came specifically to see idol group Cortis, who performed at the fan zone. Jang, 27, clutching a Cortis light stick, said she had arrived at 1 a.m. to collect a numbered ticket. "I came for Cortis, and I'll watch the World Cup if time allows," she said. Nadia, 24, an Indonesian exchange student studying chemical and biological engineering at Korea University, said, "I came to see Cortis, but of course I'm cheering for Korea."
Police and fire department personnel were visible throughout Gwanghwamun Square. About 200 riot police officers were deployed for crowd safety, and an ambulance, a heat-illness rest area and a command post were set up behind the main stage. Promotional booths handed out bottled water, hand fans and small electric fans.
When the main program began at 9 a.m., the emcee led the crowd in chants of "Daehan Minguk!" and "Oh, Pilseung Korea!" A police official on the scene said approximately 750 people had entered the main stage zone by 9:30 a.m.
Office workers in Yeouido take leave to join street cheering
The cheering spirit spread to Yeouido, a district packed with office workers. Korea Investment & Securities organized a public fan event in front of its headquarters there, timed to the national team's match schedule. A large fan zone, interactive experience area and photo zone were set up around KIS SQUARE, a large digital display on the building's exterior wall. The company expected several hundred people to gather to watch the match.
About two hours before kickoff, around 9 a.m., seats at the fan zone were filling from the front rows back. Fans wearing the jerseys of national team players Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in stood out in the crowd, while families sporting Red Devils headbands drummed their cheering sticks to build the atmosphere. Lines formed at food trucks for snacks and drinks, and families posed for photos in front of a large balloon shaped like Hangugi, the Korea Investment & Securities mascot.
Lee Ji-heon, 26, an office worker, said he had taken annual leave and come with friends. "We even made a bet on the result," he said with a laugh. "I'm predicting Korea wins 2-1."
Bae Mi-yeon, who came dressed in matching Son Heung-min jerseys with her family, said she wanted to share the experience with her children while they were still young. "Once the kids get older, they'll be too busy with friends for moments like this," she said. "I was in high school during the 2002 World Cup, and that memory is so vivid — I wanted my children to have that same experience."
Gangnam's COEX mall draws fans to giant screen
A different scene unfolded at COEX Mall in Gangnam. Starting two hours before kickoff, solo fans trickled in one by one to claim spots at the Live Plaza, where a large screen had been installed. When a pre-match live broadcast appeared on the screen around 9:50 a.m., gasps of "Oh, it's starting!" rippled through the crowd.
Choi Hyeok-jun, 22, a student at Sejong University, was finishing up an assignment on his laptop while waiting for kickoff. "My friends couldn't come because of class, but they'll all be sneaking a look during their lectures," he said. "I was lucky enough to have no class today, so I came alone."
Ma, 31, an office worker, said he had engaged in a tense standoff with his teammates over who would get Friday off. "Competition was fierce to get today off, but ultimately I won," he said. "Most people here came alone since it's a weekday morning, but there's still a strange sense of camaraderie."
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