About seven in 10 Koreans plan to watch matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, a survey showed.
According to the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corp. (KOBACO) on Wednesday, 68.6% of respondents said they intend to watch the World Cup in a recent "2026 North and Central America World Cup Viewing Intention Survey."
Live viewing emerged as the preferred method. Based on first and second choices, 71.6% of respondents selected live broadcasts, the most of any option. This was followed by highlight-focused viewing (54.3%), replay viewing (27.0%), and short-form content viewing (15.4%).
Television remained dominant as a viewing medium. Some 75.0% of respondents said they would watch matches via terrestrial or cable TV, followed by video platforms (43.6%), OTT services (34.3%), and portal sites (17.9%). For broadcast channel preference, KBS ranked highest at 62.7%, with JTBC at 30.0%.
In the survey on commentator preference, commentator Lee Young-pyo received the highest support at 30.4% based on first choice. Commentator Park Ji-sung followed at 13.8%. In the combined first and second choice tally, Lee Young-pyo (54.6%) and Park Ji-sung (38.2%) also ranked at the top.
The survey was conducted online from April 24 to 27 among 2,000 adult men and women aged 20 to 64 nationwide, with a margin of error of ±2.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Attention Concentrated at Work and School... All Korea Matches Fall on Weekday Mornings
The South Korean national football team, led by manager Hong Myung-bo, has been placed in Group A alongside the Czech Republic, Mexico, and South Africa.
The national team will play its first group-stage match against the Czech Republic at 11 a.m. on June 12, Korea time. It is then scheduled to face Mexico at 10 a.m. on June 19 and South Africa at 10 a.m. on June 25.
With all three matches held on weekday mornings, demand is expected to grow among office workers and students who will check match developments in real time or watch games during lunch breaks. The national team is aiming to reach the quarterfinals for the first time at an away World Cup.
Gwanghwamun Cheering Event to Be Held... Seoul Says "Prepare for Commute Congestion"
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold street cheering events at Gwanghwamun Square in line with the national team's group-stage match schedule. The cheering events will begin with the Czech Republic match at 11 a.m. on June 12, followed by the Mexico match (10 a.m. on June 19) and the South Africa match (10 a.m. on June 25).
Seoul anticipated that as the times when cheering participants gather overlap with commuting hours, larger-than-usual crowds will concentrate not only on major roads around Gwanghwamun Square, Sejong-daero, and Jongno but also at nearby subway stations and bus stops.
A Seoul city official said, "Citizens commuting to the Gwanghwamun and Jongno areas need to plan their travel with more time than usual and prepare for traffic congestion by using public transportation." The official added, "As hot weather is expected on the event days, please prevent heat-related harm by drinking plenty of water and using parasols and hats."
