Updated, Thursday June 18 at 10:29 p.m.
Thousands of fans gathered at Seoul International Park several hours before kickoff in the Mexico v. Korea match on Thursday. One person was shot near the watch party, according to authorities, but it’s unclear if the incident was related.
While Mexico clinched their win against South Korea, there was a strong sense of community among the crowd ahead of the game.
The shooting was reported around 30 minutes after kickoff in the game, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. One person was injured and taken to the hospital in an ambulance, according to authorities. The Los Angeles Police Department detained one person, but it’s unclear why or if the incident was related to the watch party.
There was a massive overflow of people at the event, with thousands gathered at the park and more spilling out onto Olympic Boulevard.
Mexico ultimately scored the game winning goal due to a fumble from South Korea’s goalie, which reverberated among the crowd in Koreatown, where fans erupted in cheers and the buzzing roar of a sea of vuvuzelas.
Johnny Yoon, 68, who has lived in Koreatown for 40 years, laughed and remarked, “The Korean community set the stage, but the Mexican fans are having even more fun with it.”
By the evening, several thousand people gathered in and around the park to watch the game on two jumbo screens.
The pre-game festivities in Koreatown included scores of games, food stands, T-shirt booths and vendors selling cheering gear. The early afternoon crowd sported green Mexico jerseys, with a smattering of fans in red Korea jerseys.
The watch party featured a variety of activities, including a mechanical bull-riding station, mini soccer games and carnival-style games where attendees could win stuffed animals.
Ricardo Gutierrez, from Wilmington, sported a green Mexico jersey, but felt a sense of camaraderie in the air at the pre-game festival.
“We’re against each other, but we’re also here for each other,” Gutierrez said while sporting the flags of both teams painted on his face.
Teresa and Ruben Ramirez came from Pasadena to enjoy the game among community in Koreatown. Teresa Ramirez said it wasn’t until she visited South Korea when she noticed the cultural overlaps with Korean and Mexican cultures.
“There’s the food, there’s like respect for your elders, respect for tour family, how close knitted family is,” Teresa Ramirez said. “It’s important in Korean culture, but also in Mexican culture.“
While both admired the South Korean culture, both hoped Mexico would earn the win tonight, with a 2-1 score.
The game ultimately ended in a 1-0 victory for Mexico.
Both Mexico and Korea won their World Cup opening matches in 2026. The two teams and their fans have a long-standing bond that in many ways go beyond the soccer field.
In 2018, when South Korea defeated Germany 2-0 in the final match of the group stage, the upset helped send Mexico into the knockout rounds. Mexican fans responded by flooding social media with messages of gratitude, gathering outside the South Korean embassy and chanting, “Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano” — “Korean brother, you are already Mexican.”
Andy Park, sporting a “Be the Reds” t-shirt for Team Korea, said that Mexicans and Koreans love each other despite heading into the match.
“You already know that,” Park said before the game. “Tacos. Korean barbecue all day. Family man. Us two family.”
Christian Macias, from Koreatown, agreed that food was an important unifier among the two cultures.
“I see Koreans at King Taco all the time and they order the red sauce,” Macias said. “That’s why I’m like, ‘Oh, I know they real with it.'”
Nearby Daniel Choi nodded in agreement.
“It’s Koreatown, but at the same time Koreans and Mexicans grew up here together,” Choi said. “This is one community and so, it’s kind of like brothers going head to head.”
By the end of the evening, as the sun set on the exodus of the crowd, many fans in green jerseys chanted in the street, waving the Mexican flag.
Team Mexico are set to play Czechia on Wednesday, while Korea are set to play South Africa on the same day.
