Why Korea keeps returning to soccer every four years

Every four years, something shifts — almost overnight.

People who rarely follow soccer start checking kickoff times.

Office chatter turns from deadlines to defensive lines.

Group chats fill with lineup predictions, referee complaints and late-night watch plans.

This is the pull of the FIFA World Cup.

Arguably the world’s biggest single-sport spectacle, it has a way of transforming South Korea every four years.

Streets grow louder, emotions run higher and a shared sense of national pride takes ov ...