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🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

K-culture sweeps North, Central American World Cup as fans cheer for South Korea

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Mexican fans overwhelmingly supported South Korea during their World Cup match against the Czech Republic, creating a fervent atmosphere.
  • This strong support is attributed to the growing popularity of K-culture, including K-pop and K-dramas, among Mexicans.
  • While South Korea enjoyed this support, they now face the challenge of playing against Mexico in their next match, where the roles will be reversed.

The atmosphere at the Guadalajara Stadium for the 2026 North American World Cup Group A match between South Korea and the Czech Republic was electric, with Mexican fans showing overwhelming support for the South Korean team. Chants of "Corea! Corea!" filled the stadium as South Korean players were introduced, contrasting sharply with boos directed at the Czech players. This fervent backing continued throughout the match, with Mexican spectators cheering for South Korean possessions and creating an intimidating environment for the Czech Republic.

Korea! Korea!

— Mexican fansChants of support for the South Korean team at the Guadalajara Stadium.

The reason behind this unusual level of support for a rival team stems from the widespread appeal of K-culture in Mexico. Many Mexican fans, particularly younger generations, expressed their admiration for South Korea's trendy and dynamic culture, citing K-pop groups like BTS and popular K-dramas watched on Netflix. One fan, Andrea, a BTS admirer, stated, "My friends my age really love Korea. It's stylish, glamorous, and cool." She hoped for both South Korea and Mexico to perform well, calling them "amigos."

My friends my age really love Korea. It's stylish, glamorous, and cool. I hope Korea does well in this tournament along with Mexico. We are amigos.

— AndreaA 26-year-old Mexican fan explaining her support for South Korea.

This cultural affinity is further amplified by a sense of gratitude within Mexico towards South Korea. In the 2018 Russia World Cup, South Korea's victory over Germany in their final group stage match unexpectedly helped Mexico advance to the knockout stage. This act of kindness is not forgotten by Mexican fans, like Edgar, who explained, "Women like Korea because of K-pop, but (as men) we support Korea because of soccer. They saved us. Ultimately, men and women like Korea."

Women like Korea because of K-pop, but (as men) we support Korea because of soccer. They saved us. Ultimately, men and women like Korea.

— EdgarA 38-year-old Mexican fan explaining the dual reasons for supporting South Korea.

However, this warm reception will shift dramatically in the upcoming match on June 19, when South Korea faces Mexico. The South Korean team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, acknowledges the daunting task ahead. Hong noted the intense home-field advantage Mexico will have, citing their passionate support in their previous match. Players like Kim Seung-gyu and Lee Kang-in also expressed concerns about the overwhelming crowd noise potentially impacting their performance. The team must now navigate the transition from being cheered by Mexican fans to facing their fervent opposition.

I saw how Mexico played with the passionate support of their home fans in the match against South Africa. It will be a great burden for us.

— Hong Myung-boSouth Korean coach Hong Myung-bo commenting on the upcoming match against Mexico.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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