First rally held June 12; KT WEST building billboard to broadcast South Korea matches live
Jongno-gu will broadcast South Korea's 2026 North America World Cup matches live on the KT WEST billboard at Gwanghwamun Square, district mayor Jung Mun-heon announced. The screenings will run across three events — the first of which was held June 12 — with two more scheduled for June 19 and June 25.
It marks the first time sports content has been transmitted through the outdoor advertising free-display zone at Gwanghwamun Square. Residents gathered across the expansive plaza can watch the action on the massive screen and experience a level of immersion the venue has not offered before.
The venue covers the entirety of Yukjo Madang and Nori Madang within Gwanghwamun Square, and no reservation is required to join the street cheering. Alongside the matches, organizers will run K-pop performances, AI performances and merchandise giveaway events.
The events build on technology proven during the BTS comeback screening held in March. At the time, the district partnered with a public-private consultative body and the concert organizer to broadcast the "BTS Gyeongbokgung Special Film" on Gwanghwamun Square, completing an extended stage that stretched from the square to City Hall. International fans flocked to take photos in front of the giant billboard, establishing Gwanghwamun Square as a new landmark destination.
The momentum has been building steadily. Last September, the district broadcast the K-Festa opening ceremony and Ji Chun-hee's fashion show; in October and November, it streamed the Jongno K-Festival opening and the Deux comeback stage. In March this year, the district installed a high-capacity optical fiber line connecting Gwanghwamun Square directly to KT Square for live transmission, and in May it hosted "Aria at Gwanghwamun with KT Square," sharpening its operational know-how.
Jongno-gu plans to gradually expand advanced advertising media across an approximately 220,000-square-meter zone covering Gwanghwamun Square and Sejongno through 2033, developing the area into a "media art platform." The initiative is backed by integrated billboard management technology and a cooperative framework among the district, the public-private consultative body and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
"Starting with the Red Devils' World Cup cheering events in June, we will continue a series of cultural programs in the second half of the year and build Gwanghwamun into a global hub for media art," Jung said.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
