Red Devils, Braving the Cold... Street Support for Brazil's Round of 16 Match

On the 3rd, at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, the Red Devils and citizens cheered after the Taeguk Warriors secured their advancement to the Round of 16 following the third group stage match of Group H between South Korea and Portugal in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The Red Devils, the cheering squad for the South Korean national football team, have announced street cheering at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul in the early morning of the 6th, when the 2022 Qatar World Cup Round of 16 match will take place. They are expected to show enthusiastic support despite the cold wave forecast.

On the 4th, the Red Devils stated, "We are planning street cheering at Gwanghwamun Square on the 6th, when the South Korean national football team faces Brazil." Before the match against Brazil at 4 a.m., the cheering squad plans to watch the Japan vs. Croatia game at the square starting from midnight. The Red Devils submitted an application for permission to use the square to the Seoul city government on the 29th of last month, in accordance with regulations.

Seoul city plans to review the application and notify the decision on whether to grant permission on the 5th, one day before the match. Considering that the three street cheering events held during the group stage matches were completed without incident, it is highly likely that cheering will take place at Gwanghwamun Square on the 6th as well.

Precautions against the cold wave seem necessary, as the temperature is forecasted to drop to minus 3 degrees Celsius in the early morning of the 6th. Jo Hotae, head of the Red Devils Seoul branch, said, "We will notify people to bring not only winter clothing but also blankets and other cold-weather supplies."

Meanwhile, on the early morning of the 3rd, when the match against Portugal took place, Seoul city installed a heated shelter tent at Gwanghwamun Square. Public transportation operating hours, including subways and city buses, were also adjusted. There are no major issues expected for the street cheering event.