The person who became the most talked about person at the opening ceremony of this World Cup was definitely singer Lee Jae. She proved her presence as a global pop icon by passionately singing the official theme song ‘DNA’ with world-renowned vocalist Andrea Bocelli. Above all, what captured the public's attention was her unconventional fashion style. Under a rich dress that was a modern reinterpretation of Hanbok, a traditional Korean costume, she boldly wore sneakers. This received great praise from fans as it was revealed that it was more than just a fashion mix and match, but a thoughtful choice to prevent the stage grass from being damaged during the performance. This meticulous attitude has been evaluated as capturing both aesthetic beauty and practical value, and has become a symbolic example of the cultural maturity of Korean artists.

In terms of music, this World Cup also has special meaning. Among the lyrics of ‘DNA’ written by Jae Lee himself, the Korean phrase “Even if I fall again, I get up again” resonated around the world, proving that the emotions and messages of the Korean language are being accepted as the language of global popular culture. The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) also cheered for the Korean team by placing the words ‘num’, ‘uh’, ‘jeo’, ‘do’, ‘da’, and ‘si’ in the form of a slide along with photos of the players through its official SNS. This went beyond a simple promotional activity and showed a sophisticated communication method that borrowed the message of the official World Cup theme song to provide warm consolation and hope for recovery to a team in crisis. This trend means that K-pop has evolved beyond simply listening music into a powerful narrative tool that forms a consensus among people around the world.

Meanwhile, Korea's cultural influence is expanding beyond the sports stage of the World Cup to the mainstream art world, such as the Grammy Awards. The Grammys recently established the ‘Best Asian Pop Music Performance’ category, officially recognizing the influence of the Asian music market. This is the result of the efforts of numerous K-pop artists, including BTS, and suggests that Asian popular music has become an essential component of the global market. In addition, local governments such as Jecheon City are reexamining the value of cultural assets that received attention through BTS's video and promoting their return, creating a new virtuous cycle that combines popular culture and traditional culture to increase the value of the region.

However, behind these brilliant achievements, there are also points that we need to consider. The explosive cheering enthusiasm of ‘Oh, Victory Korea’ that united the entire nation during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup is gradually fading due to changes in the media environment and a performance-oriented perspective centered on elite sports. The public now consumes matches through personalized digital platforms rather than street cheering, and tends to repeatedly consume past nostalgia rather than new cheer songs. Experts analyze that this phenomenon does not simply mean that the enthusiasm has cooled, but that the way of enjoying sports itself has shifted from ‘collective ritual’ to ‘individual content enjoyment’. In this environment, K-pop is filling the void as the core performance content of the World Cup and acting as a new engine that imprints the Korean brand on the world.