South Korea fans celebrate comeback World Cup win in Seoul

June 12 (Asia Today) -- Thousands of South Korean soccer fans packed Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, cheering, gasping and celebrating through South Korea's 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Dae-han-min-guk! Until the end!" fans shouted as the square turned red with supporters wearing national team jerseys and carrying South Korean flags, cheering sticks and handheld fans.

The Group A match was played Friday morning in South Korea, but the weekday timing did little to slow the crowd. Children, office workers and longtime members of the Red Devils, South Korea's national soccer supporters' group, gathered in front of a large outdoor screen set up near the square.

When the opening whistle sounded at 11 a.m., fans shouted "Fighting!" and "Let's win!" Police unofficially estimated about 3,000 people had gathered at the square at the start of the match.

The temperature in Seoul rose to 28 degrees Celsius, or 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, under clear skies. Many fans used parasols, portable fans and folding fans to cope with the heat.

Some supporters took vacation days to watch the match in public. Lee Hyun-soo, 37, an office worker who came with his elementary school-age child, said he used annual leave so they could cheer together.

"The next day is the weekend and my child also filed for an experiential learning day, so I took the day off," Lee said. "It is very hot, but it is better than cloudy or rainy weather."

South Korea controlled much of the early play but failed to score in the first half. When chances ended without a goal, fans grabbed their heads and groaned in frustration.

The crowd grew sharply near halftime as office workers from nearby buildings joined during their lunch breaks. Some skipped restaurant meals and watched while eating toast or convenience store food.

Kim Sung-il, 28, who works near Gwanghwamun Station, said he came with co-workers to watch the second half.

"Lunch break gives us enough time to watch the second half," Kim said. "I hope the result lets us start the afternoon shift happily."

As the crowd swelled, police and event staff moved quickly to control pedestrian flow. Seoul's real-time city data showed about 14,000 to 16,000 people were in Gwanghwamun Square at noon, more than twice the 6,000 expected by the Korea Football Association.

Police deployed about 260 officers from three mobile units to manage the crowd. Officers and staff repeatedly asked fans to fold parasols while moving and to continue walking in one direction. No major safety incidents were reported.

The match turned tense in the second half. Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute when Ladislav Krejci scored with a header. The mood at the square briefly fell silent.

South Korea quickly answered. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute and later helped create the winning goal by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 80th minute.

As Oh's goal went in, fans hugged friends, jumped in place and shouted in relief. Many stayed in the square after the final whistle, still caught up in the emotion of South Korea's first opening-match win at a World Cup since 2010.

Kim Ji-min, 23, a university student, said she had been nervous before the match.

"I was very worried before the game, but I am so happy we came back and won," Kim said.

Shim Sung-min, 42, an office worker, said the match felt cinematic.

"I heard this was South Korea's first opening-match win in 16 years," Shim said. "Today's match felt like a movie. I think I can enjoy the rest of the weekend."

South Korea's win gave the team three points to begin Group A and lifted hopes among fans watching from Seoul that the national team can advance from the group stage.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260612010004331

Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 8:57 PM.