Korea def. Togo 2:1

We gathered with 300,000 people in the centre of Seoul last night to watch Korea v Togo. With all the hysteria it was hard to believe that the actual game was being played over 8,000 kms away in Germany!

A sea of red devils

A haze of soccer frenzy

Only about 100,000 people between us and the screen- lucky it was a few storeys high

The trains ran on special schedules to traffic all the red devils home- this is us in the middle of the post-game crush

It was a pretty peaceful event given the number of chanting red devils. The police were definitely playing a good cop role, with a very soft approach taken with fans who climbed on the roof of the subway entrance- hence the following comical scene we saw develop in front of us...

Frame 1: A few spectators mount the roof of the subway entrance, in an attempt to get a better view of the screen. Shortly after a police officer clambers up to try and remove them. No luck- they appear to be laughing at him and playing cat and mouse around the sign

Frame 2: (about 5 minutes later) The crowd of spectators on the roof grows paying no attention to the lone officer who is trying to remove them

Frame 3: (about 10 minutes later) The police and spectators appear to have brokered a deal where the spectators get to stay until half time and the police get to watch the game from here as well!

The kids are of course getting right into the soccer at school, many wearing red devils tees. Trent joined in for the day of the Korean:Togo match and the kids were very impressed. One of the great soccer idols is ex-coach of the Korean team (the guy who led them to 4th place in the last World Cup), Gus Hiddink. He is now the Aussie coach, another great talking point with the kids. Some of the middle school girls have even declared their love for him!

Trent and his Kids striking a pose

One of Trent's students with his Gus Hiddink t-shirt