{"id":213669,"date":"2026-06-13T15:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/south-korea-fans-celebrate-comeback-world-cup-win-in-seoul-upi-com\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T15:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T15:49:13","slug":"south-korea-fans-celebrate-comeback-world-cup-win-in-seoul-upi-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/south-korea-fans-celebrate-comeback-world-cup-win-in-seoul-upi-com\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea fans celebrate comeback World Cup win in Seoul &#8211; upi.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<br \/>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"> \t\t\tarticle ul\tli { list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; } \t\t<\/style>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom: 15px;\"> \t\t\t<script type=\"module\" crossorigin data-ll=\"1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/instaread.co\/js\/instaread.player.js\"><\/script> \t\t\t<instaread-player publication=\"upi\"><\/instaread-player> \t\t<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear: both;\"><\/div>\n<article itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212;<\/span> Thousands of South Korean soccer fans packed Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, cheering, gasping and celebrating through South Korea&#8217;s 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 10px;\"> <script type=\"module\" async src=\"https:\/\/cdn.gist.ai\/searchWidget.js\"><\/script> <gist-search-widget         api-key=\"pk_11ab9c202afbf011ffc985431209efe9f642ab3e23de13504e7bba8e6e59c921\"         user-id=\"upi.com\"         target-url=\"\/ask\"         ref-name=\"upi.com\"         theme=\"light\"         default-placeholder=\"Ask UPI...\"         id=\"upi-widget-1\">     <\/gist-search-widget><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Dae-han-min-guk! Until the end!&#8221; fans shouted as the square turned red with supporters wearing national team jerseys and carrying South Korean flags, cheering sticks and handheld fans. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The Group A match was played Friday morning in South Korea, but the weekday timing did little to slow the crowd. Children, office workers and longtime members of the Red Devils, South Korea&#8217;s national soccer supporters&#8217; group, gathered in front of a large outdoor screen set up near the square.<\/p>\n<p>When the opening whistle sounded at 11 a.m., fans shouted &#8220;Fighting!&#8221; and &#8220;Let&#8217;s win!&#8221; Police unofficially estimated about 3,000 people had gathered at the square at the start of the match. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>The temperature in Seoul rose to 28 degrees Celsius, or 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, under clear skies. Many fans used parasols, portable fans and folding fans to cope with the heat.<\/p>\n<p>Some supporters took vacation days to watch the match in public. Lee Hyun-soo, 37, an office worker who came with his elementary school-age child, said he used annual leave so they could cheer together.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The next day is the weekend and my child also filed for an experiential learning day, so I took the day off,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;It is very hot, but it is better than cloudy or rainy weather.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>South Korea controlled much of the early play but failed to score in the first half. When chances ended without a goal, fans grabbed their heads and groaned in frustration.<\/p>\n<p>The crowd grew sharply near halftime as office workers from nearby buildings joined during their lunch breaks. Some skipped restaurant meals and watched while eating toast or convenience store food.<\/p>\n<p>Kim Sung-il, 28, who works near Gwanghwamun Station, said he came with co-workers to watch the second half.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lunch break gives us enough time to watch the second half,&#8221; Kim said. &#8220;I hope the result lets us start the afternoon shift happily.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>As the crowd swelled, police and event staff moved quickly to control pedestrian flow. Seoul&#8217;s real-time city data showed about 14,000 to 16,000 people were in Gwanghwamun Square at noon, more than twice the 6,000 expected by the Korea Football Association.<\/p>\n<p>Police deployed about 260 officers from three mobile units to manage the crowd. Officers and staff repeatedly asked fans to fold parasols while moving and to continue walking in one direction. No major safety incidents were reported.<\/p>\n<p>The match turned tense in the second half. Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute when Ladislav Krejci scored with a header. The mood at the square briefly fell silent.<\/p>\n<p>South Korea quickly answered. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute and later helped create the winning goal by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 80th minute.<\/p>\n<p>As Oh&#8217;s goal went in, fans hugged friends, jumped in place and shouted in relief. Many stayed in the square after the final whistle, still caught up in the emotion of South Korea&#8217;s first opening-match win at a World Cup since 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Kim Ji-min, 23, a university student, said she had been nervous before the match.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I was very worried before the game, but I am so happy we came back and won,&#8221; Kim said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Shim Sung-min, 42, an office worker, said the match felt cinematic.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I heard this was South Korea&#8217;s first opening-match win in 16 years,&#8221; Shim said. &#8220;Today&#8217;s match felt like a movie. I think I can enjoy the rest of the weekend.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>South Korea&#8217;s win gave the team three points to begin Group A and lifted hopes among fans watching from Seoul that the national team can advance from the group stage.<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8212; Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u00a9 Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Original Korean report: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260612010004331\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260612010004331<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-inline lato\">\n<h3 class=\"arimo bold\">Read More<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/fifa-world-cup-2026-k-pop\/5221781309125\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'World News');\"  title=\"K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America\">K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Entertainment_News\/Music\/2026\/06\/12\/korea-bts-come-over-festa\/6721781276191\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'World News');\"  title=\"BTS officially releases &#039;Come Over&#039; to celebrate Festa\">BTS officially releases &#8216;Come Over&#8217; to celebrate Festa<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/korea-BTS-launch-Busan-shows-Arirang-tour-K-pop-Asiad-Main-Stadium\/6981781256849\/\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Related Article', 'World News');\"  title=\"BTS to launch Busan shows for &#039;Arirang&#039; world tour\">BTS to launch Busan shows for &#8216;Arirang&#8217; world tour<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div data-widget-host=\"revcontent\" data-lz-widget data-pub-id=\"49476\" data-widget-id=\"288021\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"sections\">\n<div class=\"sections-header m-t-20\">\n<div class=\"widget-header\">\n<h3 class=\"l-s-25\">Latest Headlines<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row story list m-t-30\">\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/13\/latam-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-leader-Guerrero-Flores-killed\/8251781358230\/\" title=\"Trump: Tren de Aragua leader Guerrero Flores killed in joint strike\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/8251781358230\/2026\/upi\/555ee7b3c017784487c4b17bf6c9c8c6\/v1.2\/Trump-Tren-de-Aragua-leader-Guerrero-Flores-killed-in-joint-strike.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Trump: Tren de Aragua leader Guerrero Flores killed in joint strike\" alt=\"Trump: Tren de Aragua leader Guerrero Flores killed in joint strike\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 8 minutes ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Trump: Tren de Aragua leader Guerrero Flores killed in joint strike<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 13 (UPI) &#8212; An alleged Tren de Aragua transnational gang leader was killed in Venezuela, said U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuelan officials.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/manufacturing-ai-conference\/5721781312931\/\" title=\"South Korea turns master workers' know-how into AI data\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/5721781312931\/2026\/upi_com\/b3084060ec3e279bf77e2c17c457f982\/v1.2\/South-Korea-turns-master-workers-know-how-into-AI-data.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"South Korea turns master workers&#039; know-how into AI data\" alt=\"South Korea turns master workers&#039; know-how into AI data\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 14 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">South Korea turns master workers&#8217; know-how into AI data<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; South Korea will spend $31.2 million to turn master workers&#8217; tacit manufacturing know-how into artificial intelligence data and training models.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/openai-naver-nvidia\/9631781312618\/\" title=\"OpenAI's Altman to visit Naver after Nvidia CEO's trip\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/9631781312618\/2026\/i\/17813128271468\/v1.2\/OpenAIs-Altman-to-visit-Naver-after-Nvidia-CEOs-trip.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"OpenAI&#039;s Altman to visit Naver after Nvidia CEO&#039;s trip\" alt=\"OpenAI&#039;s Altman to visit Naver after Nvidia CEO&#039;s trip\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 14 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">OpenAI&#8217;s Altman to visit Naver after Nvidia CEO&#8217;s trip<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is expected to visit Naver, a week after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with the S. Korean technology company&#8217;s leadership.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/investigator-search-national-election-commission-server-ballot-shortage\/5651781312317\/\" title=\"Election probe team searches NEC servers for second day\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/5651781312317\/2026\/i\/17813125344177\/v1.2\/Election-probe-team-searches-NEC-servers-for-second-day.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Election probe team searches NEC servers for second day\" alt=\"Election probe team searches NEC servers for second day\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 14 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Election probe team searches NEC servers for second day<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; Investigators searched National Election Commission servers for over S. Korea&#8217;s ballot shortage, reviewing seized records on ballot printing.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/hanmi-semiconductor-invest-spacex-ai\/5821781311524\/\" title=\"Hanmi Semiconductor to invest $32.9M in SpaceX\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/5821781311524\/2026\/upi_com\/60f03238633350e55f811624022eaeb9\/v1.2\/Hanmi-Semiconductor-to-invest-329M-in-SpaceX.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Hanmi Semiconductor to invest $32.9M in SpaceX\" alt=\"Hanmi Semiconductor to invest $32.9M in SpaceX\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 14 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Hanmi Semiconductor to invest $32.9M in SpaceX<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; Hanmi Semiconductor said it will invest about 50 billion won, or $32.9 million, in SpaceX as part of strategic move tied to future cooperation in AI.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/fifa-world-cup-2026-k-pop\/5221781309125\/\" title=\"K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/5221781309125\/2026\/upi\/a87c3d941831a8b2237a458a71482f55\/v1.2\/K-pop-helps-open-2026-World-Cup-across-North-America.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America\" alt=\"K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 15 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">K-pop helps open 2026 World Cup across North America<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; K-pop stars EJAE, Lisa and BTS take key stages at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, from the opening ceremonies to the final halftime show.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/contemporary-art-80-years-korean-japanese-artistic-exchange\/1841781308481\/\" title=\"South Korea exhibit traces 80 years of art ties with Japan\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/1841781308481\/2026\/upi_com\/0b53be36ae114336bb1f77eb6fb23272\/v1.2\/South-Korea-exhibit-traces-80-years-of-art-ties-with-Japan.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"South Korea exhibit traces 80 years of art ties with Japan\" alt=\"South Korea exhibit traces 80 years of art ties with Japan\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 15 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">South Korea exhibit traces 80 years of art ties with Japan<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; South Korea&#8217;s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art exhibition traces 80 years of Korean-Japanese artistic exchange through Paik, Lee Bul and others.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/latam-diaplaced-people-americas-un-report\/8311781292307\/\" title=\"U.N: The Americas world's leading region for forced displacement\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/8311781292307\/2026\/i\/17812937498695\/v1.2\/UN-The-Americas-worlds-leading-region-for-forced-displacement.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"U.N: The Americas world&#039;s leading region for forced displacement\" alt=\"U.N: The Americas world&#039;s leading region for forced displacement\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 19 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">U.N: The Americas world&#8217;s leading region for forced displacement<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (UPI) &#8212; The Americas was the world&#8217;s leading region for forced displacement in 2025, with 22.8 million refugees and others needing international protection,<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/Iran-denies-deal-with-US-finalized\/1541781252701\/\" title=\"U.S., Iran finalizing peace deal, Pakistan announces\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/1541781252701\/2026\/upi\/ae9d9ea97014970fd534d31ce26acd69\/v1.2\/US-Iran-finalizing-peace-deal-Pakistan-announces.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"U.S., Iran finalizing peace deal, Pakistan announces\" alt=\"U.S., Iran finalizing peace deal, Pakistan announces\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 1 day ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">U.S., Iran finalizing peace deal, Pakistan announces<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (UPI) &#8212; Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Friday afternoon that the United States and Iran have agreed to and are finalizing a peace deal.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Top_News\/World-News\/2026\/06\/12\/latam-venezuela-oil-spill-trinidad-and-tobago\/2891781289008\/\" title=\"Venezuela demands answers from Trinidad over new oil spill\" onclick=\"upi_gtag('Story', 'Latest Headline', 'World News');\" class=\"row\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-4\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"\/img\/clear.gif\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/2891781289008\/2026\/i\/17812897449822\/v1.2\/Venezuela-demands-answers-from-Trinidad-over-new-oil-spill.jpg?stfi=1\" title=\"Venezuela demands answers from Trinidad over new oil spill\" alt=\"Venezuela demands answers from Trinidad over new oil spill\" width=\"200\" height=\"166\" style=\"width:200px; height: 166px;\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-8 col-sm-8 col-xs-8\">\n<div class=\"category\"><span>World News<\/span> <i class=\"time-ago\">\/\/ 21 hours ago<\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"title\">Venezuela demands answers from Trinidad over new oil spill<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\"> June 12 (UPI) &#8212; Venezuela&#8217;s interim government on Friday decried a new spill allegedly originating in Trinidad and Tobago, and authorities are investigating.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-12 col-sm-12 col-xs-12\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212;<\/span> Thousands of South Korean soccer fans packed Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, cheering, gasping and celebrating through South Korea&#8217;s 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 10px;\"> <script type=\"module\" async src=\"https:\/\/cdn.gist.ai\/searchWidget.js\"><\/script> <gist-search-widget         api-key=\"pk_11ab9c202afbf011ffc985431209efe9f642ab3e23de13504e7bba8e6e59c921\"         user-id=\"upi.com\"         target-url=\"\/ask\"         ref-name=\"upi.com\"         theme=\"light\"         default-placeholder=\"Ask UPI...\"         id=\"upi-widget-1\">     <\/gist-search-widget><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Dae-han-min-guk! Until the end!&#8221; fans shouted as the square turned red with supporters wearing national team jerseys and carrying South Korean flags, cheering sticks and handheld fans. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\"><\/div>\n<p>The Group A match was played Friday morning in South Korea, but the weekday timing did little to slow the crowd. Children, office workers and longtime members of the Red Devils, South Korea&#8217;s national soccer supporters&#8217; group, gathered in front of a large outdoor screen set up near the square.<br \/>When the opening whistle sounded at 11 a.m., fans shouted &#8220;Fighting!&#8221; and &#8220;Let&#8217;s win!&#8221; Police unofficially estimated about 3,000 people had gathered at the square at the start of the match. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<p>The temperature in Seoul rose to 28 degrees Celsius, or 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit, under clear skies. Many fans used parasols, portable fans and folding fans to cope with the heat.<br \/>Some supporters took vacation days to watch the match in public. Lee Hyun-soo, 37, an office worker who came with his elementary school-age child, said he used annual leave so they could cheer together.<br \/>&#8220;The next day is the weekend and my child also filed for an experiential learning day, so I took the day off,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;It is very hot, but it is better than cloudy or rainy weather.&#8221;<br \/>South Korea controlled much of the early play but failed to score in the first half. When chances ended without a goal, fans grabbed their heads and groaned in frustration.<br \/>The crowd grew sharply near halftime as office workers from nearby buildings joined during their lunch breaks. Some skipped restaurant meals and watched while eating toast or convenience store food.<br \/>Kim Sung-il, 28, who works near Gwanghwamun Station, said he came with co-workers to watch the second half.<br \/>&#8220;Lunch break gives us enough time to watch the second half,&#8221; Kim said. &#8220;I hope the result lets us start the afternoon shift happily.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<p>As the crowd swelled, police and event staff moved quickly to control pedestrian flow. Seoul&#8217;s real-time city data showed about 14,000 to 16,000 people were in Gwanghwamun Square at noon, more than twice the 6,000 expected by the Korea Football Association.<br \/>Police deployed about 260 officers from three mobile units to manage the crowd. Officers and staff repeatedly asked fans to fold parasols while moving and to continue walking in one direction. No major safety incidents were reported.<br \/>The match turned tense in the second half. Czechia took the lead in the 59th minute when Ladislav Krejci scored with a header. The mood at the square briefly fell silent.<br \/>South Korea quickly answered. Hwang In-beom equalized in the 67th minute and later helped create the winning goal by substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 80th minute.<br \/>As Oh&#8217;s goal went in, fans hugged friends, jumped in place and shouted in relief. Many stayed in the square after the final whistle, still caught up in the emotion of South Korea&#8217;s first opening-match win at a World Cup since 2010.<br \/>Kim Ji-min, 23, a university student, said she had been nervous before the match.<br \/>&#8220;I was very worried before the game, but I am so happy we came back and won,&#8221; Kim said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"mt-5 text-center mb-5\" style=\"min-height: 305px;\"><\/div>\n<p>Shim Sung-min, 42, an office worker, said the match felt cinematic.<br \/>&#8220;I heard this was South Korea&#8217;s first opening-match win in 16 years,&#8221; Shim said. &#8220;Today&#8217;s match felt like a movie. I think I can enjoy the rest of the weekend.&#8221;<br \/>South Korea&#8217;s win gave the team three points to begin Group A and lifted hopes among fans watching from Seoul that the national team can advance from the group stage.<br \/><i>&#8212; Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/i><br \/><i>\u00a9 Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.<\/i><br \/><i>Original Korean report: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260612010004331\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260612010004331<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMioAFBVV95cUxPSlNYMmd6aDJuZzNHUGRZY0ZtSS1WZjhsdUdnbVhzMURQRXU5blNhV205LUJBT0VOVXFua3BfU1VidlpoVWdPZWpialVyODl5WTlaQXBleGJxdjNISmFEOGtUb3N0YkFSRFJCbkxDVmFKUldDQkUtV2VxMTBGdVpNM3dXVXYzRERFbDdXNjk1QWg2WU0zSUFBVkp6X1A2TTNP0gGmAUFVX3lxTFBaVkZZM3JZeElNaktWb3VxUzJ3RXlUN2t5Z0dLZmhhZ2s0M19mWnY2YTI4aXIzejA1MTFldHB5NDlLdXVGdUJkSEZFWGxpU2p5UXo2VWtMamtEaUlHcXg5cGx4Ykdad0htQXoxOUQ0czdyYmJHblZlYWZlN3ItS2c3MGRJdlIxbzlsRllhWTBtdlVJdmxiRzdjUVppZjRHSDd5WFpxUlE?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 12 (Asia Today) &#8212; Thousands of South Korean soccer fans packed Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, cheering, gasping and celebrating through South Korea&#8217;s 2-1 comeback victory over Czechia in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. &#8220;Dae-han-min-guk! Until the end!&#8221; fans shouted as the square turned red with supporters wearing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":213670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-213669","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}