World Cup street cheering events canceled out of respect for Itaewon tragedy

In this photo taken on Jun. 17, 2010, huge numbers of Red Devils, or supporters of the Korean national football team, gather in Seoul Plaza for street cheering events for the World Cup match between Korea and Argentina. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han

By Lee Hae-rin

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Friday that it will not host street cheering events for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 games as the nation mourns the death of more than 150 people in a crowd crush that happened in the Itaewon District of Seoul on Halloween weekend.

The tragic accident that occurred on Oct. 29 killed at least 156 people and injured 38.

“The association had been jointly preparing street cheering events at Gwanghwamun Plaza with the Seoul Metropolitan Government like the 2018 Russian World Cup, but decided to cancel them after having in-depth discussions with sponsors,” the association said.

Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, street cheering events for the Korean national team's tournament matches have been one of the biggest and most awaited celebrations for the country's football fans. Usually held in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul Plaza in front of city hall, Shinchon and Gangnam's Yeongdong-daero, the games are broadcast on massive screens as tens of thousands of fans and spectators gather dressed in red.

While past cheering events have been hosted by the private sector, the association and the city government jointly hosted the events for the first time in 2018 during the Russia World Cup.

The city government and the KFA were preparing for this year's World Cup as well, which starts on Nov. 20. However, they decided to cancel the events after a period of national mourning was declared.

“The association decided it is against public sentiment to hold cheering events in the same jurisdiction, less than a month after the tragedy,” the association said. “The KFA cancels the cheering events as a gesture of condolence to the bereaved families and others who are suffering from the tragedy.”

Another pertinent factor for the cancellations was due to companies halting sponsorship, according to the city government.

“The football association and many private companies are refraining from organizing street cheering events,” a city government official said. “The cost of the World Cup cheering events is very heavy so there needs to be sponsorship. Without sponsorship, it's unlikely that the events can happen.”

The KFA plans to cancel its previous request to the city government to use Seoul Plaza.

However, Seoul has been selected as one of six cities to host a FIFA Fan Festival for this year's World Cup, along with London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Dubai.

The fan festival events include live match broadcasts and music performances by international DJs and local artists, sponsored by brands including Budweiser, Corona, and Brahma. The selected dates and times for the fan festivals in Seoul have yet to be announced.

Korea faces off against Uruguay on Nov. 24, Ghana on Nov. 28 and Portugal on Dec. 2.