Shock loss ends Korea's hopes of advancing on its own; fans lament tactics and performance
"Please, please … ."
That was the plea heard at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Thursday morning, where thousands had gathered for a public screening of South Korea's final Group Stage match against South Africa at the 2026 World Cup. As the game wore on, sighs drowned out cheers. What had begun as a charged, festive atmosphere turned somber the moment South Africa found the net.
Crowds actually swelled as the second half got underway. The throng stretched all the way to exits 4 and 7 of Gwanghwamun Station, and when the venue reached capacity and entry was blocked, some fans argued with event staff — pleading to be let in, saying they had left their picnic mats behind or asking for just a moment inside. As lunchtime arrived, office workers in lanyards joined in groups of two and three, filling nearly every remaining gap along Sejongno.
In the 60th minute, Oh Hyeon-gyu's header was denied by a sharp save, drawing a collective gasp and roar from the square. But just two minutes later, a South African counterattack broke through, and the mood froze instantly. Fans were seen burying their faces in their hands or bowing their heads in disbelief.
The energy slowly drained from the crowd as the clock ticked down. Around 11:40 a.m., with roughly 20 minutes left, only the drumbeats of the cheer squad broke the silence as spectators stared wordlessly at the giant screen. Then the rain began to fall harder, and the square — which had blazed red before kickoff — was swallowed by quiet.
Past the 85th minute, fans who had already accepted defeat began folding up their mats and gathering their belongings one by one. When Hwang In-beom went down near the end, the cheer squad chanted his name in a last show of support. As the giant screen showed supporters at the stadium in tears, voices in the crowd murmured, "It's not over yet," and "We feel like crying too."
Six minutes of stoppage time. Those still clinging to hope clasped their hands and chanted "Daehan Minguk." But when South Africa held possession with 30 seconds left, groans rippled across the square. The final whistle brought only silence.
Kim Si-jun, 28, a university student, said the players had given everything until the end but that the team had seemed tactically underprepared. "There was a lot of frustration with coach Hong Myung-bo here in the crowd," he said. "Still, I stayed to cheer them on to the finish."
Lee Gyu-won, 32, who had taken a half-day off work to attend, said the crowd fell quiet in the second half once the goals stopped coming. "I had already packed up before stoppage time even started," he said. "Honestly, I didn't think a dramatic moment was coming."
Jeon Jae-min, 52, an office worker, said he still believed it was not over. "I hope the team takes Thursday's match as a lesson and comes back stronger," he said. "If there's another public screening, I'll be back."
'I can't understand the tactics,' fans say
The mood was equally heavy at Shinsegae Square outside the Shinsegae department store's main branch in Jung-gu, Seoul. As stoppage time ticked away, fans chanted "Daehan Minguk" in a last burst of hope, but with no goal forthcoming they stood with fingers interlocked, eyes fixed on the screen. Each time coach Hong Myung-bo appeared on the display, boos broke out across the crowd.
When the final whistle blew, most turned and walked away without a word. Some stood in front of the screen for a long moment, looking as though they could not believe what they had just seen. Shin Min-seung, 25, said he had expected an easy win but that Korea had been outplayed from the first half. "There were too many passing errors — it felt like a loss on merit," he said. "As a football fan, I feel more sadness than disappointment."
Lee Su-bin, 31, said she had been expecting a 2-0 or 3-0 victory. "I'm completely deflated," she said. "The performance seemed even worse than the Mexico match."
Shim Gyu-hwan, 27, said the coach should have made bolder adjustments to match the flow of the game. "It was a match that left a lot to be desired tactically," he said.
Emotions also ran high outside Korea Investment & Securities' headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Rain came and went in bursts throughout the match, but fans stayed put in their ponchos. Every time a promising attack developed, cries of "Goal! Goal! Goal!" rang out — yet the net never moved.
Fans who had gathered hoping to see Korea advance to the round of 32 watched the screen with clasped hands until the very end. But the 0-1 defeat extinguished any chance of automatic qualification, and the fan zone fell into long sighs and silence where cheers should have been.
Fans began drifting away even before the final whistle, and after the match most left with grim expressions. Kim Han-sol, 18, attending his first public screening, said he had come fully expecting a win. "I'm so disappointed we lost," he said. "I think the coach should have brought Son Heung-min on a bit earlier."
Lee Yeong-seo, 32, who works nearby, said she had skipped lunch to catch about 30 minutes of the match. "Korea was losing the whole time I watched," she said. "Even if we somehow sneak into the round of 32, I wonder if we'd be knocked out quickly with performances like this."
The national team had rallied from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in their opener before losing 0-1 to host nation Mexico. Thursday's 0-1 defeat to South Africa left Korea with one win and two losses — three points — and third place in the group. Korea can no longer advance to the round of 32 on their own and must wait on results from other groups.
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