South Korean police expect at least four million people to take to the streets across the country on Saturday to watch their team's World Cup quarter-final match against Spain on giant outdoor screens.
Since the match is held on Saturday when most people finish work at lunchtime and many university students have already finished their academic year, there are likely to be more people on the streets cheering the team than for previous matches.
One of the most abiding images of the World Cup has been the vast crowds of South Korean "Red Devil" fans in team-colour red T-shirts in Seoul and other cities.
"We expect 1.65 million street supporters," an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Friday.
"To provide against contingencies, we plan to station 71 squadrons at major cheering points such as the city hall, Kwanghwamoon, Kangnam and university areas," the official said, referring to the major areas where crowds have gathered.
The National Police Agency said the estimate for the whole country was more than four million.
They estimated there were 0.5 million people out for the South Korea-Poland match, 0.77 million for the game against the United States, 2.79 million for the clash with Portugal and 4.20 million when South Korea beat Italy 2-1 to reach the final eight.
