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From the first game of the national team the day following tomorrow, red cheers resonated in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government granted permission under the condition that safety measures be strengthened.
Group cheering at World Cup stadiums and theaters by region is expected to heat up nationwide cheering fever.
Reporter Lee Yoo-gyeong reports.
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Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where red T-shirts and Taegeukgi made a huge wave every World Cup.
This year too, Gwanghwamun Square is filled with red waves.
The application for the use of Gwanghwamun Square, submitted by the national team’s official cheering squad, ‘Red Devils’ to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, passed deliberation in five days.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said, “The use of Gwanghwamun Square has been permitted on the condition that safety is secured at night and smooth management of traffic lines is observed.”
When the Jongno-gu Office, which was in charge of the first screening, rejected the plan yesterday, saying that safety management measures were insufficient, the Red Devils prepared additional measures, such as increasing the number of safety officers to 300, and passed the re-examination.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would deploy 276 manpower to patrol the event site and respond to any safety accidents or emergencies in cooperation with the police and fire department.
The place where the cheering match is held is regarding 100m from the front of the Seoul Government Complex on Sejong-ro to the statue of King Sejong the Great.
The Red Devils expect around 10,000 people to participate in the cheering match per game.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to close nearby bus stops on the same day to allow passing buses to pass non-stop, and to consider non-stop service at Gwanghwamun Subway Station due to congestion.
Other local governments also started preparing for the cheering match one following another, Incheon decided to hold a group cheering match at the soccer stadium and Songdo Convensia, and Suwon at the World Cup Stadium.
Suwon World Cup Stadium, where cheering matches are held, can accommodate up to 43,000 spectators.
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“We are preparing for the event with an emphasis on the safety management and movement management of the visitors, as it is expected that many visitors will gather.”
Sports-related companies and movie theaters also plan to hold group cheering indoors, where it is relatively easy to control the number of people and manage safety.
This is Lee Yoo-gyeong from MBC News.
Video coverage: Lim Jeong-hwan, Lee Jun-ha, Lim Ji-soo / Video editing: Kim Ha-eun
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