South Korea Checks Citizen Safety Ahead of North, Central America World Cup

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is proactively ensuring the safety of its citizens traveling for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted across North and Central America. A joint situation assessment meeting, involving the ministry's headquarters and its overseas diplomatic missions, was convened to map out safety measures.

The meeting, presided over by Director-General for Overseas Safety Planning Cho Ju-seong, included participation from the South Korean Embassy in Mexico and other missions in the United States and Canada. Cho stressed the importance of maintaining robust communication and collaborative frameworks between the ministry and various embassies, given the tournament's decentralized hosting across three North American nations.

Considering that the World Cup period coincides with the 250th anniversary celebrations of American Independence on July 4th, the ministry urged for thorough identification and proactive management of potential risks. The South Korean Embassy in Mexico announced plans to set up temporary consular offices in host cities like Guadalajara and Monterrey during the group stage matches involving the national team.

Furthermore, South Korean diplomatic missions within the United States are preparing for a potential surge in travelers around the World Cup and the U.S. Independence Day holiday. These preparations aim to provide necessary consular support and ensure the well-being of South Korean nationals throughout their stay in the host countries.

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Given that this World Cup will be hosted across three North American countries, it is important to maintain close communication and a cooperative system between the Foreign Ministry headquarters and various host country missions, beyond individual mission responses.