Parents of South Korea's World Cup hero close restaurant for a month to cheer him on

The restaurant run by the parents of South Korean national team striker Oh Hyeon-gyu has gone viral online after the forward scored the winning goal to give South Korea a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over the Czech Republic at the 2026 North America World Cup.

On Friday, a notice posted by a franchise loach soup restaurant in Hopyeong-dong, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, spread rapidly across online communities including Ruliweb under the headline "A restaurant that's closing for a month to watch the World Cup."

The notice reads: "From June 8 through June 30, we will be temporarily closed to cheer on the South Korean national football team at the World Cup. Our son is competing as a national team player at this World Cup, and as a family we want to be there in person to support and encourage him."

The owners added: "We are sincerely grateful to all the customers who have visited and supported our restaurant, and we ask for your warm support for the national team and our son."

"We plan to resume normal business from July 1 and will return with an even brighter spirit," they added. "We hope you stay healthy in the summer heat and that only happy things fill your days."

Photos shared alongside the notice show a large banner hanging outside the restaurant featuring a full-length image of Oh and, in bold lettering, the message: "We are closed. We are heading out to cheer at the World Cup from June 8 through June 30. We are sorry for any wasted trips. Normal business resumes July 1."

Another photo shows what appears to be Oh's red national team jersey mounted in a premium frame and displayed on the wall inside the restaurant.

The restaurant is operated by Oh's parents. Earlier this year, Oh appeared on a television program and said he grew up eating rice in loach soup at an age when most children were still on baby food — a remark that hinted at how long his family has been in the restaurant business.

Oh scored the decisive goal in the 35th minute of the second half of Thursday's match against the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, to seal the 2-1 victory.

Commenters who saw the post reacted warmly. "If your son is on the national team, this is totally justified," one wrote. "They absolutely have to go," said another. "I thought, 'Are they crazy?' — then I read it and realized their son is the player," a third added. Others predicted the restaurant would be packed when it reopens: "July 1 is going to be absolute chaos." Many simply wrote: "How proud they must be."

‘역전골’ 오현규, 4년전 일기…“유니폼 부끄럽고 속상, 독한 마음으로 해내자”

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