"We Were Looking Forward to Meeting in LA"... Fans Sigh in Disappointment

[Anchor]

The passion of Korean expatriates cheering from abroad was just as intense as it was back home. In particular, the Korean community in Los Angeles, where the national team was scheduled to play if they advanced as the second-place team in their group, expressed deep disappointment. Not only in the U.S. but also in China, Korean residents came together as one to support the national team.

Correspondent Han Sang-woo reports.

[Reporter]

The cheering venue set up in LA's Koreatown was packed with Korean residents and local fans.

[Go Korea!]

Fans brought out giant national flags and drums to fuel their enthusiastic cheering.

Expectations were especially high among the LA community, as the national team was scheduled to play in Los Angeles if they advanced to the tournament as the group runner-up.

[Ha Jae-woong / Korean cheering squad: We are aiming for the quarterfinals. Go Korea!]

However, as the team conceded goals and the match became frustrating, the fans could not hide their dejection.

When the team's defeat was finally confirmed, the disappointment grew even deeper.

[Jeon Chae-won / LA resident: We were planning to meet again in LA, so it's very disappointing that we won't be able to see them.]

[Park Jae-min, Jo Geon-woo, Angela Lee / LA residents: It was very disappointing, but they played really well, and we believe they will do well in the future. Fighting!]

In Beijing, Korean residents and students also paused their work and studies on a weekday morning to join in the fervent support.

They held onto hope for a comeback until the very end.

[Turn it around! Turn it around!]

But as the frustrating game continued, even the young students soon turned serious, and silence replaced the cheers.

[In Yul-ri / Student living in Beijing: I was very upset. I cheered for them, but it's a shame they lost.]

Expatriates who took time out of their busy schedules in foreign lands to send their passionate support turned away in disappointment.

(Reported by Choi Deok-hyun and Ha Ju-eun (SBS International) | Video edited by Kim Jong-mi)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.