"Daehanminguk!" The 'Hot Winter' We Cried and Laughed Through

2022 Qatar World Cup, Korea's Soccer Miracle Reaching Round of 16
Most Noisy Match Record in Korea-Uruguay Game
Passionate 'Bulgeun Akma'... Mature Civic Consciousness, On-site Cleanup Right After Cheering

On the 3rd, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Red Devils and citizens cheered for Hwang Hee-chan's comeback goal during the third match of Group H in the 2022 Qatar World Cup between South Korea and Portugal. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "Republic of Korea Fighting!" "Oh, Victory Korea!" "You really fought well! And thank you!"

In the early morning of the 6th, when the round of 16 match between the Republic of Korea and Brazil in the 2022 Qatar World Cup took place, citizens filled Gwanghwamun Square in Sejongno, Seoul, to cheer for the Korean national soccer team. The Red Devils shouted "Republic of Korea" without regard to the severe cold, with the perceived temperature dropping to minus 8 degrees Celsius. Although the match started at 4 a.m. Korean time, an estimated total of 20,000 Red Devils had already gathered around midnight.

Contrary to the citizens' passionate support and hopes for victory, the match was overwhelmingly dominated by Brazil. On that day, the Republic of Korea lost 1-4 to Brazil, ending with a disappointing result. However, citizens did not forget to encourage the players who ignited their fighting spirit until the last moment, having advanced to the round of 16 by creating the "Miracle of Doha."

The national team's advancement to the round of 16 was actually uncertain. Just before the third match of Group H, Nielsen's content solution subsidiary Gracenote predicted the probabilities of advancing to the round of 16, with Uruguay having the highest at 49%, Ghana at 41%, and Korea at 11%. However, the Korean national soccer team made a comeback with a 2-1 victory. It was a valuable win achieved by the Taeguk Warriors through fighting spirit, overcoming various surveys and statistics. This match was ranked 4th among the top 12 biggest upsets in the World Cup.

On the afternoon of the 24th of last month, during the first match of Group H in the 2022 Qatar World Cup between South Korea and Uruguay, the Red Devils and citizens unfolded the Taegeukgi at Yukjo Square, Gwanghwamun Plaza, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Taeguk Warriors Win Against Portugal... Behind Them, the World's Loudest 'Red Devils' Cheer Squad

And behind those players were the Red Devils. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) measured the crowd cheering sound during this World Cup group stage matches, and except for the last group match, among 40 matches measured, the cheering sound at the first group stage match of Group H between Korea and Uruguay was the loudest at 131 decibels. The 4th place in this ranking was also from the Korea-Ghana match, measured at 122 decibels.

The situation was similar for street cheering at Gwanghwamun Square. However, there were many twists and turns before the Red Devils gathered again on the streets. First, considering the mourning atmosphere following the Itaewon tragedy, there was public opinion against attending the cheering. Additionally, on the 21st of last month, Jongno-gu decided to re-examine the street cheering safety plan submitted by the Red Devils cheer squad. They requested safety measures to be supplemented, citing insufficient safety personnel prepared by the Red Devils and the lack of secured fire lanes in case of accidents. Eventually, after re-examination, the cheer squad was granted permission for street cheering.

Jo Ho-tae, head of the Red Devils Seoul branch, appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and said about the background of promoting street cheering, "There was considerable pressure, but there was a reason to proceed again. Since 2002, there have been no safety accidents during street cheering. We want the people themselves to be proud that Korea is a safe country with no incidents or accidents even with large crowds." He also said, "Remembering the previous tragedy, comforting each other through our own cheering culture might be a way."

On the 6th (Korean time), the Round of 16 match between South Korea and Brazil in the 2022 Qatar World Cup was held at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Son Heung-min of the national football team, who lost 1-4, is greeting the audience after the match ended. Photo by Yonhap News

Mature Civic Consciousness, Voluntary On-site Cleaning... Distribution Industry's 'World Cup Boom'

The street cheering was successful. No safety accidents occurred, and above all, the streets after cheering were cleaned voluntarily by citizens with mature civic consciousness. Especially during the match between Korea and Ghana, despite the bad weather with rain, citizens cleaned the site while getting wet. Some citizens picked up trash not only at the street cheering locations but also around Gwanghwamun Square, together with sanitation workers.

Moreover, the distribution industry enjoyed a 'World Cup boom,' bringing big smiles to self-employed business owners. First, the chicken industry greatly benefited from the World Cup. On the 28th of last month, when the match between Korea and Ghana was held, bhc Chicken's franchise store sales increased by 297% compared to the same day of the previous month, 312% compared to the same day of the previous week, and 213% compared to the same day of the previous year. Kyochon Chicken also saw a 110% increase in franchise store sales on the 24th of last month compared to the previous week (17th). Goobne's order volume on the 28th of last month, when the Ghana match took place, rose 160% compared to the previous week.

Convenience stores also saw significant sales increases. Emart24 reported that on the day of the Uruguay match, beer sales increased 2.4 times compared to the same day of the previous year, refrigerated and frozen side dishes increased 2.3 times, and dried side dishes doubled. Beer showed the highest increase rate at 145% compared to the previous year. CU reported that from 6 p.m. to midnight on the 2nd, beer sales increased 155.2% compared to two weeks before the World Cup opening. Wine sales increased by 124.5%, spirits by 121.1%, soju by 120.1%, and Makgeolli by 110.1%. Fried chicken (193.2%), dried side dishes (161.3%), refrigerated instant meals (170.8%), and processed meat products (114.9%) also recorded high sales growth rates.

Sales at convenience stores near Gwanghwamun, where street cheering took place, also increased significantly. According to Emart24, on the 3rd, sales at three Emart24 stores near Gwanghwamun increased fourfold for beer and soju. Warm beverages like soy milk increased tenfold, smartphone cables and portable batteries 3.5 times, ramen threefold, and hot bars, snacks, side dishes, and ready-to-eat foods more than doubled. On the same day, CU near Gwanghwamun Square saw sales increases of 11.5 times for hot packs, 8.8 times for instant brewed coffee, 7.1 times for single-cup beverages, and 7.4 times for disposable batteries. GS25 reported that sales at 10 stores near Gwanghwamun surged up to 64.6%.

Meanwhile, Paulo Bento (53, Portugal), the head coach who led Korean soccer to its second-ever 'away World Cup round of 16,' announced at a press conference on the 6th (Korean time), after losing 1-4 to Brazil in the 2022 Qatar World Cup round of 16 match, that he decided not to renew his contract as the Korean national team coach. Coach Bento explained, "It's time to think about the future now," adding, "I will rest and recharge, and then decide on my future course." He emphasized, "I am grateful for what our players have achieved. I am very proud to have led Korea all this time."

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