Gyeonggi-do and Red Devils Host 'Qatar World Cup' Citizen Support Event... Comprehensive Situation Room Operated

Gyeonggi Province will jointly hold the 2022 Qatar World Cup cheering event with the Red Devils. Promotional image for the World Cup cheering event.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province will open the main stadium of Suwon World Cup Stadium for citizen cheering events on the 24th and 28th of this month and the 3rd of next month, when the Group H matches of the Korean national team in the 2022 Qatar World Cup take place.

However, Gyeonggi Province plans to implement thorough safety measures such as deploying safety management personnel, managing citizen flow, and providing guidance for returning home to create an environment where residents can cheer joyfully without safety concerns.

The citizen cheering event on the 24th will be held by supporting the first group stage match against Uruguay at 10 p.m. together with the football team cheering squad "Red Devils" Suwon branch.

The province will operate a performance stage equipped with the nation's largest ultra-large screen (about 1,000 inches) installed in front of the south stand of the main stadium, where the game can be viewed.

Citizens can watch the game from the north, west, and east stands (first floor), excluding the south stand, and from the grassy field in front of the performance stage. The maximum capacity is 15,000 people. If more people arrive, the second-floor seats of the stadium will be opened.

Citizens visiting the stadium can watch the large screen and cheer for the national team players’ success on the lawn with the Red Devils, friends, family, and neighbors. Excluding the grassy field, the capacity of Suwon main stadium is 44,000, and the province has prepared safety measures assuming a maximum of about 50,000 people on that day.

Those who want to participate in the citizen cheering event can enter the main stadium three hours before the game time without a separate application process (7 p.m. for the Uruguay and Ghana matches, 9 p.m. for the Portugal match). However, to maintain order, the entrances will be opened sequentially from the north, east, and south sides. Alcohol, fireworks, and other hazardous items are prohibited upon entry.

Before the game, safety and emergency evacuation videos will be broadcast on the performance stage’s electronic display. After the game ends, five entrances (two on the north side, one on the east side, and two on the west side) will be fully opened to facilitate smooth exit. The province will also operate safety management personnel, including police officers outside the stadium, after the game to assist citizens in returning home safely.

On the 22nd, Gyeonggi Province held a "Gyeonggi Province World Cup Citizen Cheering Safety Measures Meeting" attended by Suwon City, Gyeonggi Suwon World Cup Stadium Management Foundation, police, fire department, and the Red Devils Suwon branch to establish an emergency support system among related organizations and discuss detailed plans for residents’ enjoyable and safe cheering.

On the 23rd, the Gyeonggi Province Safety Special Inspection Team and Suwon City inspected safety aspects focusing on fire safety and seating facilities. In particular, they checked broadcasting equipment and lighting comprehensively, considering the need to manage large crowds due to free admission and nighttime viewing.

On the event day, with cooperation from police and fire departments, about 250 safety management personnel including emergency medical staff (ambulances and fire trucks), police, and security will be deployed inside the stadium to guide flow and maintain order. A comprehensive control room will also be operated to oversee the situation.

The province will open about 2,000 parking spaces at the stadium free of charge and deploy parking guides to control the surrounding situation. Since the area around the stadium may be congested and parking capacity is limited, the province strongly encourages the use of public transportation.

Additionally, the province declared this event as the nation’s first RE100 (100% renewable energy-powered) cheering event and plans to supply all electricity used in the three cheering events with power generated from solar energy and other renewable sources.

The province explained that although the Qatar World Cup is a global festival, there has been controversy over excessive carbon emissions due to air conditioning use, and that Gyeonggi Province’s citizen cheering event was organized as an RE100 practice event using 100% renewable energy electricity in response to the climate crisis.

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon explained the purpose of holding the citizen cheering event on his social media on the 21st, saying, "Loving sports and expressing the passion of youth is natural and an important right," and "It is also Gyeonggi Province’s role to safely embrace and encourage that passion."

Accordingly, on the 22nd, the Red Devils approved group cheering applications submitted by each metropolitan branch to local governments for the first time among metropolitan governments and immediately began preparing safety cheering measures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.