Let’s Show A Fair And Mature Cheering at the Korea-US match

For the guard of the cheering of the soccer match between Korea and American, the state is at alert. Police and authorities are trying to prevent any possible situation, but since there isn’t any way to root out the accidental situation, they are quite nervous.

On the ‘Red Devil’s’ Internet Board, there are writing’s such as ‘Remember Ohno’ and pictures of Kim Dongsung’s loss as the winter Olympics.

Also, some netizens have invited those who would hold a ‘gathering’ in front of the American athletes’ quarters and the S hotel where Apollo Anton Ohno is rumored to be staying are receiving writings telling them to kick him out.

In Kyunghee University where the match would be watched in public, events such as ‘Hitting George Bush with Soccer Balls’ and ‘exchanging foreign cigarettes with Korean cigarettes’ will be held before the match.

Students’ Association is considering writing an anti-USA slogan on the 1000 T-shirts that will be distributed on the day of the match. An anti-USA cheering team has been already made at Hanyang University.

The police and the authorities are worried excited spectators gathered at Kwanghwamun and other areas may storm to the American embassy when an anti-USA slogan is displayed or brochures with such slogan are distributed.

The state authority has sent requests to related parties to control their behavior before the Korea-America match and is concerned about accidental situation that might occur.

The police have planned to set up a police line around the American embassy and to distribute the large screens so that the street cheering groups would be spread out.

Also, the police will mobilize about 5000 police officers to control the area around the American embassy, and allow the cheering group to use the 2 lanes on each side of the road between Sejong Road and the City hall.

The police will also enforce the guards around 50 facilities related to the US, such as the foreigner’s apartments. When an anti-USA slogan is shouted, the Red Devils have promised to surmount it with the cheering roar.

The police have announced that they are trying to prevent the situation with traffic control, but when thousands of people storm to a demonstration, there’s no way to stop them.

On the other hand, some people are against this atmosphere to relate the match with anti-USA emotions.

With the anti-USA articles on the Red Devil’s Internet board, there are writings telling others not to correspond emotionally.

Kim Taeyoon (34·Youidodong, Youngdeungpogu, Seoul) said, “We should behave more maturely, and to differentiate the sports match with our emotions towards the US. When an anti-USA slogan is cried out and if any anti-USA demonstration breaks out, our image as the host country would be damaged.”

sys1201@donga.com