Despite loss, red devils upbeat about Koreas future

By Park Si-soo, Shim Hyun-chul

Staff reporters

Despite the rain and humid weather, more than one million people clad in red shirts poured out into the streets across the country Saturday night to join in cheering rallies for the national football team in its match against Uruguay in the second round of the World Cup in South Africa.

Though the result was disappointing ― Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1, the crowds of fans, known as the “Red Devils,” kept shouting such slogans as “Daehanminguk” (Republic of Korea) and “Oh, pilseung Korea” (Oh, victorious Korea) to root for the national team, setting off fireworks even after the referee blew the final whistle, to maintain the festive mood.

“We could have won if there was more time,” said Song Sung-joo, a raincoat-clad cheerer in Seoul Plaza. “But I would like to give them a big hand because they did their best.”

Another fan, Choi Bit-na, said: “I had great fun in recent weeks thanks to their exceptional performances. I bet they will play better in the next World Cup.”

Nearly 1.01 million people flocked to 219 officially designated cheering venues nationwide Saturday night, police estimated. In Seoul alone, nearly 390,000 children, young adults and senior citizens formed crowds at 17 venues, including public parks, stadiums, and river banks where giant TV screens projected live coverage of the game.

Dark clouds began to gather over the country early Saturday evening and rain began to fall around 8 p.m. in Seoul. But it stopped short of keeping avid football fans at home ― the venues began to bustle with crowds armed with cheering aids, hours ahead of the kickoff at 11 p.m. (KST)

“I arrived here at 2 p.m. with my university friends,” said Baek Jeong-won, a freshman whose face was painted with the national flag of South Korea. “It’s sad that we lost to the South American country. But the good news is that we got stronger through the games during the World Cup.”

Upon the kickoff, the red army’s eyes were glued to screens, shouting and chanting slogans and the names of the players with the ball at the top of their lungs. The thunderous sound from banging countless air-filled sticks and vuvuzela-shaped plastic horns heightened the atmosphere.

Whenever the national team was given a free kick near the Uruguay penalty area, they roared, “Goal! Goal! Goal!”

The mood tumbled when Uruguay’s Luis Suarez scored from a tight angle in the eighth minute of the game. But the crowd erupted in jubilation as South Korea’s Lee Chung-yong headed the ball into an unguarded net in the 68th minute to level the game to 1-1.

When South Korea conceded again in the 80th minute after a curling strike from Uruguayan forward Suarez, they were dazed. “I cannot believe what just happened,” a teenage fan said.

Until the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014, fans will be ready to repeat their show of support.