KT Corp rallies fans at Gwanghwamun for Korea-Czech Republic World Cup match

KT Corp, the official partner of South Korea's national football team, joined the Korea Football Association and the Red Devils supporters group on Friday to host the "2026 Gwanghwamun Cheering Event" at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.

The event spread across the square's Nolmadang area, the Gado space and Yukjo Plaza. A large media wall anchored the setup, with a main stage, cheering platforms and delay screens installed throughout the square so fans could watch the match from any vantage point.

Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Gwanghwamun has stood as the symbolic home of South Korea's street cheering culture, where crowds gather to share every high and low with the national team. KT Corp has supported those gatherings throughout.

During the 2002 tournament, the company joined the wave of enthusiasm through its "Korea Team Fighting" campaign. At the 2006 Germany World Cup, roughly 760,000 people took part in the Gwanghwamun street cheering, producing what many regard as an iconic moment in South Korean fan culture.

KT Corp was there when the team reached the round of 16 for the first time on foreign soil at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, and stood alongside fans during the more subdued 2014 Brazil World Cup, held in the shadow of the Sewol ferry disaster. For the 2018 Russia World Cup, the company supported 5G-based broadcast infrastructure. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it worked to create a safe cheering environment for the early-morning winter matches.

This year, KT Corp continues that tradition. Through an AI-based cheering program called "Everyone's Canvas," run via the media wall on the KT Gwanghwamun West building, the company will broadcast fans cheering in the square onto a giant screen in real time.

Additional programming includes an on-site media wall displaying fan-made cheering reels and messages submitted in advance, a pop-up exhibition on the national team inside KT Onmaru, content tracing the team's history and cheering culture, and online-offline cheering programs running throughout the World Cup.

Safety is the top priority at this year's event, KT Corp said.

The company deployed about 250 personnel on-site, including event staff, security guards, traffic controllers and medical workers. Ambulances and an emergency medical system will be on standby, and cooling zones, water stations and bottled water will be provided to help fans cope with the summer heat.

A unified operations center inside the KT West building will monitor conditions in real time throughout the event. The company is also working closely with relevant authorities on safety management.

"The greatest asset we have gained from 26 years of sponsoring the national team is the time we have shared with the people of this country," a KT Corp official said. "This event, prepared together with the Korea Football Association and the Red Devils, will serve as a bridge connecting the passion of the past with the technology of the future." The official added that the company would "do its utmost until the very end so that all citizens can enjoy the World Cup festival safely."