Victory to Korean team...

Nationwide 1.6 million fans cheered in the streets to pray for the round of 16 for the Korean team. All parts of the country turned to ‘Red blast furnace’.

The match was started from 8:30 PM, but people wearing the red T-shirts clustered on spaces of each city with a large-sized screen from the morning, and they cheered the Korean team shouting ‘Victory Korea’. At that day, a lot of large-sized screens were installed in major cities.

In the Busan Asiad Main Stadium of the first victory of the Korean team, approx. 60,000 supporters gathered together and watched the match through the large-sized screen cheering passionately.

Gathered in front of the large screens installed in Busan train station and Haeundae beach, 50,000 citizens cheered the Korean team with a performance of musical instruments.

In the area of Jungro Dongseong-ro, Daegu, supporters were singing the fight song to pray the victory of the Korean team from the morning. As soon as the match started, most of stores except restaurants closed the stores for 2 hours putting a notice board saying ‘Closed for 2 hours from 8:30 PM’.

The city of Ulsan opened the Dongcheon gymnasium to Ulsan citizens, and so 5,000 people all cheered the Korean team watching through the large screen from 7:00 PM. There are approx 20,000 people in World Cup Plaza next to Munsu Stadium, 10,000 citizens gathered on the World Village in the Ulsan Grand Park. Totally, about 35,000 citizens prayed to advance the round of 16 for the Korean team.

In the area of Gwangju, Jeongnam, about 80,000 citizens gathered in front of large-sized screens installed in 16 areas and shouted ‘Korea Fighting’.

On the 4th of the month for the Korea-Poland match, 30,000 citizens gathered in Gwangju Plaza. But, approximate 40,000 students and citizens wearing the red T-shirts gathered in the same place for cheering the Korean team for the Korea-Portugal match 2 hours before the match.

In Jeonju, 30,000 citizens clustered in front of the large-sized multi-vision installed in Jeonju Stadium. In addition, there were 15,000 citizens in Jeonju Deokjin Park, 10,000 citizens in Nosong Square in front of Jeonju City Hall and 2,000 citizens in Gunsan train station Square.

40,000 citizens clustered in 12 areas in Gangwon such as the square of Car Open-air theater, Gongjicheon open-air stage, train station’s square, Namdaecheon Daedong garden and so on.

Especially, some of supporters said ‘Because of insufficient cheering, the Korea and America match was a tie”. They cheered the Korean team on to victory.

In Daejeon World Cup Stadium, the American-Poland match started at the same time with the Korea-Portugal match. Many Korean supporters were very interested in the result of this match because the result was directly connected to the round of 16 of Korean team.

At that day, companies and citizens who purchased the ticket for America-Poland match wrote ’I will sell the ticket for America-Poland match with a cheaper price’ in Internet homepage of Chungnam University and Daejeon University.

Seong-Chul Hong sungchul@donga.com