20,000 gather at Gwanghwamun to cheer for Korea in final World Cup group match vs. South Africa
Korean and South African fans come together in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Thursday, ahead of Korea's final group stage match against South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Up to 20,000 fans were expected to gather in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square on Thursday to cheer for Korea in its final group stage match against South Africa, the organizers of the watch party said.
With the game scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m., fans began gathering early in the morning, with 68-year-old Kim Ik-su saying he woke up at 3 a.m. to come to the watch party while another fan, 20-year-old Han Jee-ah, arrived at Gwanghwamun at 7:30 a.m.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and South African Ambassador to Korea Sindiswa Ntombolimo Mququ were among those gathered in Gwanghwamun Square, waiting to cheer for their respective countries in the coming match.
Korea, currently in second place with three points, only needs a draw against South Africa on Thursday to advance to the knockout stage. A loss, however, leaves their fate in the hands of the Mexico-Czechia Group A match, starting simultaneously at 10 a.m.
A Mexican win or draw would relegate Korea to third place, keeping their hopes for the round of 32 alive as one of the eight best third-place teams. Conversely, a Czech victory would eliminate Korea as fourth place.