Some 47 million Koreans witnessed a miracle at 10:55pm Tuesday. Team Korea came from behind in the 117th minute mark in their second round match against Italy, and the entire country fell into a festive mood. Some 650,000 gathered in the Gwanghwamun area alone, occupying sidewalks and eight of the ten-lane road, and as striker Ahn Jung-hwan headed in the golden goal, fans started to wave national flags and shouted victory, as drivers in passing cars honked their horns as they drove past.

Fans in Daehangno started a triumphal procession around the same time, while the Red Devil supporters club began chanting "Dae-Han-Min-Guk" and singing Arirang accompanied by drums and gongs. Choi Dong-seok, a real estate broker from Guri, Gyeonggi Province, said that he witnessed the enormous potential of Korea tonight. New Zealander Andrew Wilkinson did not hide his surprise that the co-host defeated the European powerhouse, crediting "the support of Koreans, found nowhere else in the world," making the victory possible.

50,000 fans clustered in front of the COEX were overjoyed by the victory, splashing beer and stomping like crazy. American tourist Mr. Burt described the cheering fever as "spectacular." The World Cup Park near Sangam Stadium was filled with 100,000 soccer lovers, who clapped and cheered in celebration, followed by fireworks and cannon salutes. Park Yong-hui, who came with his two daughters, said that the nation united in one to support Korean squad, while Shapi Udin from Bangladesh said he has never seen such crowd in his homeland.

At least 2 million Seoul residents watched the game in several outdoor spots such as Yeouido Riverside Park and Jamsil Ballpark, in addition to the downtown plazas, and others gathered at pubs and restaurants in the Shinchon and Gangnam area in their tens and hundreds to share the delightful moment. Cars and motorcycles paraded around Seoul all night, proudly showing off the national flag.

The party went on all over the country, especially in Daejeon, where the game took pace. 17-year-old Park Hui-jeong matter-of-factly said that Team Korea can even win the World Cup after witnessing the spectacular upset over the 'Azzuri.' Lee Jae-heon, who is doing his military service, obtained a special holiday to watch the game, and joined the Red Devils in front of Daejeon Station square where two super-sized projectors showed the match. When Han Gyun-il said "I knew we would win," many nodded in assent.

Similar scenes were found in downtown Gwangju, Jeonju, Suwon, Changwon and Busan, and just about everywhere else in Korea. Police estimated the overall "street-cheering population" exceeded 5 million, well over the 3.5 million for the June 14 Portugal match, the 1.5 million for the US match on June 10, and the 700,000 when Team Korea started the victorious run on June 4.

(Baek Seung-jae, whitesj@chosun.com )