The men’s 2002 tournament sent the Asian nation into a football frenzy but the buzz quickly faded and there’s little to show for it now
It was a message received and understood. Just days later, the first round of five games saw 123,000 attend – the highest ever – while the old rival sport of baseball didn’t even reach five figures. Busan coach Kim Ho-gon said the new atmosphere motivated the players to play better and it seemed like there was a new energy as the K-League, which national coach Guus Hiddink had previously said was like a “walking game”, was reaching international standards.
The impressive stadiums soon became a problem and not just because the 10 arenas – all brand new – were far too big for the K-League’s needs. They were constructed more for the perceived needs of the tournament rather than the host cities, often far from downtown. It was galling to emerge from Jeonju station to see the lights of the old city stadium nearby but then have to take a 30-minute bus ride to the new home of Jeonbuk Motors, sitting next to the motorway on the outskirts.
In tangible football terms the legacy of 2002 is a story of missed opportunities, but this is a tale of two halves and the second is more positive. Many South Koreans cite that summer as inspiration. It also changed attitudes. Hong may not have been able to kiss the trophy as he had hoped, but leading newspaper Dong-A Ilbo said the national team showed Asia the World Cup did not have to be the sole preserve of South Americans or Europeans.
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