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CHO Chung Yun：President of Korea Football Association

The world witnessed the fervent enthusiasm of the Korean football fans when the FIFA World Cup™ embarked in the Korea Rep. in 2002. The stadium was covered with the same red color of the national team uniform, and the crowd's chorus of "Korea Republic" began to rock the stadium hours before kickoff. Hundreds of thousands of unfortunate fans without a ticket gathered in front of City Hall in the center Seoul and cheered on just as enthusiastically as they watched the match on the giant screen that was specially installed. Korea Rep. achieved their best ever World Cup result, and it is no exaggeration to say that their supporters' solid belief in the team's victory was one of the strongest forces that carried them through to the semi-finals. Since 2002, the climate surrounding football has changed - more fans are showing up at the stadium not only for the monthly national team match but also for the weekend K-League matches. Seizing the opportunity to broaden the overall popularity of the league, a locally rooted fan base is being promoted, and the K2 League, an equivalent to a second division, was established to advance competition. It is the character of Korea Rep. never to be satisfied with the present but to strive for the better.