[World Cup] Koreans confident in team

Nearly seven out of 10 South Koreans expect the national soccer team to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil after a 1-1 draw against Russia, a poll showed Friday.

According to the survey conducted by the polling agency Gallup Korea, 68 percent of 671 people nationwide who are 19 or older said South Korea will make it to at least the Round of 16.

Of them, 7 percent believe the national team will advance to the quarterfinals and 2 percent the semifinals.

The telephone survey was conducted for two days from Wednesday, when South Korea played Russia to a 1-1 draw in its first match in Group H.

About 19 percent of the respondents said that South Korea will crash out in the group phase, with 13 percent saying they had no idea.

The number of those who expressed optimism about the results went up after hitting a low of 42 percent in a previous survey earlier this month, after the team’s crushing 4-0 loss to Ghana.

South Korea will face Algeria on Monday and then Belgium next Friday.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. (Yonhap)