South Korea's World Cup anthems lose their roar, echoing the past

The vibrant energy of World Cup anthems, once a unifying force in South Korea, appears to have faded significantly since the nation's "4강 신화" (semifinal run) in 2002. Back then, YB's "오 필승 코리아" (Oh Seung Korea) dominated streets, airwaves, and media, becoming a true national anthem that galvanized the public. This year, for the 2026 North, Central American and Caribbean World Cup, new songs like "Dream With Us" by the group TOURS and "Victory" by producer 250 have been released, but they struggle to generate similar widespread enthusiasm.

Several factors contribute to this diminished impact. The large-scale public cheering events, once a hallmark of the 2002 World Cup, have lost their momentum. The "Red Devils," the official supporters' club, were instrumental in organizing the fervor back then, transforming public gatherings into massive singalongs. While the Red Devils still operate, their influence on public street cheering has waned, and these events no longer capture the same spontaneous, festive spirit.

Furthermore, the way South Koreans consume the World Cup has diversified. While people still gather, many now watch games at home, in restaurants, or through various online platforms, including YouTube and short-form content. This fragmentation of viewing habits weakens the collective power of singing the same song together. This year, broadcasting rights issues also played a role. Unlike previous World Cups where major terrestrial broadcasters jointly promoted the event, this year's negotiations between JTBC and other networks were complicated, limiting unified promotional efforts.

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New anthems that could reignite enthusiasm are not emerging, and previous songs are being repeatedly consumed. The shadow of the 4강 신화 is too large.

Instead of anthems, the focus of World Cup music has shifted towards K-pop stars performing on official global stages. Jungkook of BTS sang "Dreamers" at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and other K-pop artists are participating in events for the current tournament. K-pop has become a key performance element of the World Cup itself, rather than serving as a background for national cheering.

Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik noted that "new anthems that could reignite enthusiasm are not emerging, and previous songs are being repeatedly consumed." He attributed this to the "shadow of the 4강 신화" being too large and the strong "elite-centric performance-oriented nature of Korean sports." When results are expected, interest surges, but when expectations are low, the enthusiasm wanes, he observed.

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Korean sports have a strong elite-centric performance-oriented nature. When results are expected, interest grows, but when results are difficult to expect, the enthusiasm weakens.