Gwanghwamun Square to host World Cup viewing parties for Mexico, South Africa matches

Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul will come alive with public cheering events for South Korea's upcoming 2026 North, Central American, and Caribbean World Cup matches against Mexico and South Africa. The Jongno-gu district announced that these games will be broadcast live on the large-scale media wall of the KT Gwanghwamun building, marking the first time sports events are streamed in the Gwanghwamun Square outdoor advertising zone.

The infrastructure for these broadcasts has been established using the setup created for a BTS comeback concert held in March. South Korea secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Czech Republic in their opening match on June 12. Following this initial success, Jongno-gu plans to host further cheering events for the matches scheduled for June 19 against Mexico and June 25 against South Africa.

The event space will encompass the Yukjodang and Norimadang areas of Gwanghwamun Square. Participation is open to the public without the need for prior seat reservations. Beyond the live match broadcasts, attendees can look forward to a variety of entertainment, including K-pop performances, artificial intelligence (AI) demonstrations, and giveaways of cheering merchandise.

Jongno-gu has ambitious plans for the Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong-daero areas, intending to progressively expand advanced advertising media across approximately 220,000 square meters by 2033. This initiative aims to transform the district into a leading media art platform. District Mayor Jung Moon-heon stated, "Starting with the Red Devils World Cup cheering event in June, we will continue with various cultural events in the second half of the year, fostering Gwanghwamun into a media art center that the world will focus on."

South Korea is grouped in Group A of the World Cup alongside host nation Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. Their remaining group stage fixtures are scheduled for June 19 (vs. Mexico) and June 25 (vs. South Africa), both kicking off at 10 AM local time.

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Starting with the Red Devils World Cup cheering event in June, we will continue with various cultural events in the second half of the year, fostering Gwanghwamun into a media art center that the world will focus on.