연고전

What does 연고전 mean? Basically it is this massive event where the two rival universities, and the only rival universities in all of Korea, compete in various sporting events, such as soccer, rugby, basketball, baseball and ice hockey. Also, the Koreans from both Yonsei University and Korea University come out in mass to support their schools, the point of almost insanity. I was not really sure what I was getting myself into but when I stepped into the bleachers of the soccer game I knew it was going to be crazy.

First, Koreans have this amazingly stamina for cheering at the top of their lungs. Each school had about fifty some cheers (but only about twenty were sung) that they rotated through, and while in the States the fans stop cheering once the game starts the Koreans just continually cheer for the entire game. I don't know how the players on the field have the ability to concentrate on the game when you have about 1,000 plus fans screaming and synchronizing cheer moves. So in a sense there was some order to the chaos, a person dressed like a power ranger would tell the crowd what cheer would come next and then direct you through the motions while people with mics connected to about ten massive speakers would sign the song. Still, how the Koreans managed to keep going for the entire seven hours of the day is a mystery to me. I eventually had to sit an rest, but there were some who definitely went for the entire day. Also, leave it to the Koreans to make up a cheer that is a cover of the song from "Dreamgirls" "One Night Only"...

In terms of the actual games, (which often took a back sit to the cheering, sometimes you didn't even know the game started), we lost miserably. Soccer was the only game that we didn't lose and that we tied at 0-0 (no kick off which was sad and anti-climatic). Ice hockey, the one sport we are suppose to be good at never started because of allegations of Yonsei paying off the refs.

After the games the night continues though as everyone (both Korea university students and Yonsei students) come back to the Sinchon area. It has become a tradition where the two groups of students will go around to the local restaurants and bars knocking on the doors and chanting for the owner. Once the owner appears they start singing/cheering/dancing, etc. to get food and drinks for free. I was amazed that it actually worked rather well, and after the three hours or so you have enough food to fill your stomach, and way too much alcohol. What is perhaps more striking though is that there is relatively little conflict through out this whole event. The two schools will poke fun at each other, calling the other stupid 바부, but rarely will fights occur. I have a feeling if you put any of the States schools rivals together especially when it comes to a competition for free food when drunk there would inevitably be massive brawls out in the streets.


- I went with a group comprised of a mixture of Koreans and International students call IYC (International Yonsei Community). The guy in the center with the strap across his chest is our group leader. He is amazingly nice, and introduced himself to us first as "handsthumb guy", his English has a bit of lisp which makes everything he says funny. His Korean name however is 종욱.