An elderly man with white eyes laughed at his beard as he watched the night streets of Souq Waqif, a traditional market in Doha, Qatar, where people from all over the world flowed on the 27th.
Kwon Tae-kyun (71), the leader of the Arirang cheer team, was the main character. He was on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup group stage match between Korea and Ghana, before the second match of group H, together with his teammates, to promote Korea’s strength. Director Kwon said, “If you hit the gong, it comes over into our atmosphere.” When the World Cup was held, it included stories of experiences that colored the world with Samulnori Korea.
It didn’t take long for Director Kwon’s boast to turn into reality. Starting with him holding the drumstick, the sound of gongs and gongs followed, and people immediately came to him. Kwon’s wife, Lee Yeon-hee (70), performed an exciting dance, and Moroccans joined in, cheering for Belgium’s defeat. Reporter Abdellatif Ashraf of ‘Taswar Media’, a broadcaster from Qatar who was filming the unusual samulnori of the Arirang cheering squad, gave a thumbs up saying, “I have never seen cheering so excited.”
The gong sound of the Arirang cheering squad that shook the traditional market brought Koreans scattered across the place together. Kim Min-joo (30) and Kim Han-ah (28), both working for Qatar Airways, said, “We can hear this sound even from a distance. I can feel that the World Cup is a global festival,” he said.
The non-stop run of the Arirang cheer squad came to a halt only when they arrived not in Doha, Qatar, but in the Fine Grain District, which reminds us of the streets of New York, USA. Meanwhile, it was a bonus that they were even treated to drinks after a match at an underground shopping mall that welcomed them. It was a difficult schedule for the youngest in their early 60s. A day later, we will be cheering for Taegeuk Warriors’ victory at Education City Stadium. The Arirang cheer squad cheers men in topo and women in hanbok. Jeong Ki-sook (61), who came out to support the expedition with her husband Jung Joon-yeong (65), said, “If I run like today, my neck will be sore and my body will turn into green onions , so I can’t lie about my age.” My husband even offered prizes to anyone who found him on TV,” she laughed.
The age-old Arirang cheering squad made its debut at the 1998 World Cup in France. It started with Kwon’s activities with singer Kim Heung-guk, and the number gradually increased from the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup held in Korea, and then hardened to the current form through South Africa, Brazil and Russia. The iron rule of the Arirang Cheer Team is compassionate cheering. Instead of receiving financial support from the outside, they follow the Taegeuk warriors with the money they have accumulated over the past four years. Director Kwon laughed, saying, “Even if the cost is reduced to a minimum, it costs 12 million won per head.” Of course, this amount will continue to increase if Korea manages to advance to the round of 16 away.
Others may not understand why you spend such money at your age. However, the Arirang cheer squad said it would not be a waste to promote Korean culture while enjoying their favorite custom football and travel at the same time. “Look at the people around you. Once, I asked if I was Japanese. Now, of course, knowing I’m Korean, I shout ‘Hello’, ‘Thank you’ and ‘You’re cool’. I go around for this flavor. “
I can’t stop the flow of time, so I worry that I won’t be able to maintain the passion I have now. Kwon already had a history of suffering a myocardial infarction before the first match against Togo during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, Director Kwon is determined to follow the Taegeuk warriors up to the age of 80 with his wife Lee. Lee said, “When I started with my husband in 2002, I didn’t expect it to fall like this. Once you start, you now have a sense of responsibility. I want to follow two more competitions in the future. That’s the rest of our couple’s goal.”
