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Some six million people are expected to turn up on the streets Saturday for Korea's quarterfinal match against Spain, as the entire country becomes an enormous wave of red cloth and Korean flags. Especially as the game is on the weekend, families and small groups are expected to contribute to the crowds.
Large screens will be set up in 18 places in Seoul for an estimated 1.65 million people and police espect that in 39 cheering places downtown, one out of four citizens will participate making a total of 2.5 million.
Gwangju, host of the game, has been in a frenzy since Friday with banners reading "Go to the semifinals," "Oh, Victory Korea" and Korean flags hanging everywhere downtown and in apartment complexes. All employees of administrative offices in Gwangju City including city and district offices as well as Kookmin Bank will wear red shirts to work. Some 250 elementary, middle and high schools will have a holiday and cheer together. More than 300,000 people from around the country are expected to converge on Gwangju to cheer.
Airplane and railroad tickets to Gwangju are mostly sold out; Korean and Asiana airlines said that all seats for scheduled and temporary flights are unavailable. The Korea National Railroad organized 12 extra trains running on the Honam line to Gwangju from Seoul and Ulsan, but most seats are booked.
Some 300,000 are also expected to gather in 14 places in Busan including Haeundae Beach, and 170,000 are expected in five places in Daegu.
(Kim Sung-hyun, shkim@chosun.com )
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