Police estimated 969,000 people nationwide, including nearly 200,000 in Seoul, gathered to watch their team in far away South Africa.

One of Seoul's busiest boulevards was transformed into a sea of red-clad fans with their screams reverberating among the downtown buildings as they watched the game unfold on a big screen.

"It was absolutely amazing," Lee Ji-hye, an English teacher, said after the 2-0 victory. "The match was worth coming out in the rain for." Fans, including grandmothers, university students and foreigners, wore red shirts and sported plastic headbands with fluorescent horns — a trademark of the national team's official fan organization, the Red Devils.

Cries of "Park Ji-sung! Park Ji-sung!" echoed throughout the night air as the Manchester United midfielder scored the second goal. Fans hugged each other in elation and jumped in unison.

Even the rain couldn't dampen fans enthusiasm.

"I don't care if I get pneumonia from sitting out here in the rain," said Kim Ji-hoon, a 24-year-old university student whose cheeks were stained in red. "My priorities lie with our team. The World Cup comes only once every four years." A 42-year-old street vendor, who asked to be identified only by her surname Lee for fear of being caught selling merchandise without a license, earned 1.3 million won ($1,040) in two hours selling horn head pieces at 1,500 won each.

World Cup fever is high in South Korea, which co-hosted soccer's premier event in 2002 and made the semifinals, instantly transforming coach Guus Hiddink into a national hero.

Saturday's will boost hopes that South Korea can improve on 2006, when the team failed to live up to high expectations brought on by the 2002 semifinal run.

"We're going to beat everyone," said Kim Hae, who works as a consultant. "Argentina, here we come!" South Korea will meet Argentina on Thursday, with the final group game against Nigeria.