South Korea may not have captured the winner's trophy at the FIFA U-20 World Cup,… tens of thousands of fans took to the streets and cheered the boys on until the final whistle.<br />Our Won Jung-hwan reports. <br />The finale of the U-20 World Cup kicked off 1 AM on Sunday Korea time,… but the late kick-off didn't stop legions of football fans... from leaving their homes to cheer for the national team. <br />Almost half of the 60-thousand seat Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam... was packed with red-shirted fans. <br />While the majority of the fans arrived early in the stadium... some 2 hours before the match,… the cheering officially began with the singing of the national anthem,… and a huge national flag being put up by the crowd. <br />Holding cheering props and clad in red,... the national football team's signature color,... they shouted "Daehanminguk " and "Oh Pilseung Korea" every time they had a chance. <br />And the cheering got even louder...when Korea scored from the penalty spot less than 5 minutes into the game,… standing up and screaming in joy. <br />But as Ukraine mounted a comeback and scored three unanswered goals for their first-ever trophy,… Korean fans were left wondering... about what could've been.<br />However, when the final whistle was blown,... almost every fan expressed their full support for the young Taegeuk Warriors.<br />"It's an unfortunate result, but I am very proud of our team. I sincerely hope to see the team return home with a smile on their faces."<br />"Almost every player is around my age. I felt so much respect while watching them play hard and give everything they had. I hope they become good players in the future as well. Fighting "<br />Besides the World Cup Stadium, outdoor events were also held in several streets around Seoul,... including places outside the bustling Gangnam subway station and a park surrounding Seokchon Lake. <br />And it wasn't just the capital city as well. Other major cities, including the southeastern port city of Busan and the southwestern city of Gwangju, transformed into a sea of red with football fans.<br />The national team fell short of winning the ultimate prize,... but their historic acheivement has lit a fire in Korean fans, who have been waiting for a moment like this,... since the country's magical run in the 2002 World Cup. <br />Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News. <br />
