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Staff reporter
It has become the icon and the largest issue at the World Cup. But it has also provoked websites criticizing them within days. Many participating players are complaining about its effect on the pitch.
Commentators describe its sound as "satanic" and compared it with "a stampede of noisy elephants," "a deafening swarm of locusts," and "a goat on the way to slaughter."
According to the U.K.-based Guardian newspaper, both national anthems of South Korea and Greece played prior to their group-stage match sounded just the same thanks to its drone. Most recently, U.S. Time Magazine picked this as the most annoying sound, ahead of cicadas, snoring, car alarms and nails on a chalkboard.
Incessantly resonating sounds of vuvuzelas, controversial plastic horns, are now seriously agitating game watchers across the globe, no doubt including South Koreans too.
Scientific data says their noise can clock in at up to 127 decibel. With thousands of them blown at the same time at the same place, everyone involved in the matches, from players to referees, have had problems in communicating.
Continuous exposure to sounds above 80 decibels can damage hearing, and even pain follows at the level of 120 decibels. Sounds over 150 decibels can cause serious damage to the eardrums.
Jeong Hee-sang, a South Korean linesman at the 2010 World Cup, said Wednesday the noise is loud enough to keep game officials from talking to each other.
"It's really nerve-wrecking," Jeong told The Korea Times. "It's not easy to focus on the game throughout the entire 90 minutes. Verbal communications are virtually impossible between linesmen and referees."
In spite of all those oppositions and concerns, FIFA has decided not to ban the longtime fan favorite after reportedly considering such action.
Most football fans here don't seem to be too happy about this, widely complaining about the incessant noise without a single break during the games. It's already become an official nuisance among local watchers.
Brian Kim, an office worker at an advertisement company in Seoul, said its use has to be restricted.
"I hate it. And my girlfriend just abhors the sound too," Kim said. "Just let FIFA ban vuvuzelas immediately. No excuse for that!"
Another Seoul-based office worker, Jung Jae-yoon, said in a competition like the World Cup, encouraging players' performance should be considered ahead of freedom of expression.
A lot of fans say any official restriction on vuvuzela use is "over the top," as it shows no respect to African culture.
"The sound is extremely noisy, to a level of pollution. However, since it is part of a valued tradition, I am somewhat against restricting the use of the instrument at the World Cup," said Kim Ki-hyun, a trading company worker in Seoul.
He's in line with Kwon Ki-sun, a 25-year-old nurse. "It's their culture of cheering. Why does FIFA have to put a blanket on that after selecting South Africa for the venue?" Kwon said.
Kang Jeong-hwa, 23, a college student, said it would be wise if the Africans get organized and let leaders of the supporters use the instrument for a harmonious sound, citing the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
"I think it's like when Koreans made use of gongs and other Korean traditional instruments into a pleasing sound, which could have sounded dreadful if played incoherently,"
South Africans supporters, on the other hand, may well thank Kim Ki-uk for his mindset, probably that of a minority, as this 28-year-old office worker said he loves the sound of vuvuzelas.
"This way of cheering could be heard at this World Cup in the African continent only. The sound is very exotic, and I don't have any problem concentrating on games with it," Kim said.
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