350 Ethnic Koreans Watch World Cup Qualifier in Iran

“I’ve lived here for more than 34 years, but it’s the first time to see this huge number of Korean fans,” said Lee Seung-soon, an ethnic Korean who came to see Korea and Iran play to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup soccer qualifier.

At Tehran’s Azadi Stadium filled with Iranian fans, the chorus of “Dae-han-min-guk (Republic of Korea)!” by a 350-strong Korean cheering squad reverberated through the stadium. Their roars overwhelmed the tens of thousands of Iranians in attendance.

“I’ve watched many of the Korean team`s matches here in Teheran, but I’ve never seen this kind of enthusiastic cheering before,” Lee said.

About 400 ethnic Koreans, including expatriate workers stationed in Tehran, came to the stadium. Staff from the Korean Embassy in Tehran, their families and 40 members of the Red Devils, the Korean team`s official fan group, also joined.

The Korean Embassy prepared a large-size Korean flag to encourage the Korean players. The red-shirted Red Devils came to Iran for a day to cheer their team.

Korean fans stayed at the stadium until all Iranian spectators left the stadium and then cleaned up their surroundings.

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