A place where Hong Myung-bo's nest is firmly established... The spirit of 'Independence Hero' Ahn Chang-ho still lingers here [Guadalajara IN]

*This content was translated by AI.

The historic district of Guadalajara, Mexico, which serves as the base camp for the Republic of Korea national team, is preparing to welcome soccer fans from around the world, while also connecting with the footprints of independence heroes who passed through this place over a century ago.

On the 9th (local time), the Liberacion Square in Guadalajara's historic district was in full swing preparing for the FIFA Fan Festival, which will operate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

This Fan Festival will be open to the public free of charge for 39 days from the 11th until July 19. A variety of cultural events and concerts are scheduled, along with live broadcasts of all matches via large screens, and the venue can accommodate up to 40,000 people per day.

With just two days until the World Cup opening, the site was filled with stages and temporary structures, while security personnel, soldiers, and police were deployed to maintain a state of alert across the area.

Even on a weekday morning with its characteristic emptiness, a sense of tension ahead of the festival hung in the air. While photography is permitted outside the festival zone, entry inside is still restricted, even for World Cup media crews.

Just one block over from this square, within a walking distance of less than three minutes, lies a historic site. It is the Frances Hotel, which opened in 1610 and has guarded the heart of Guadalajara for over 400 years.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, a plaque depicting Do-san Ahn Chang-ho, who served as the central president of the Korean National Association, caught the eye in a corner of the elegant wall. The South Korean government, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ahn Chang-ho's 1917 tour of Mexico, reached an agreement with the hotel and installed the plaque at this location. A hotel official told reporters on-site, "Many Korean tourists visit this place to take photos after seeing the plaque of Ahn Chang-ho."

The Frances Hotel and Guadalajara served as a focal point where Ahn Chang-ho stabilized the Korean community in Mexico and laid the foundation for the independence movement. In 1917, amidst the whirlwind of the Mexican Revolution, Korean compatriots in the Yucatan region faced severe living hardships and scattered in all directions, lacking a leader to guide their immigrant society, thus facing a comprehensive crisis. In response, Ahn Chang-ho accepted an invitation from the Korean residents and set foot on Mexican soil through the port of Manzanillo in October 1917.

Ahn Chang-ho personally visited henequen plantation owners to improve the welfare of Korean laborers, led the signing of new contracts and the establishment of labor regulations, and resolved the difficulties faced by his compatriots. He mobilized the unity of the Korean community in Mexico, numbering around 1,000 people, and built a foundation to support the independence movement centered on the Korean National Association.

Later, in 1918, Ahn Chang-ho encountered obstacles while attempting to return to the United States. The U.S. Consulate General in Mexico City demanded the submission of a Japanese passport, citing that the Korean Empire was a colony of Japan.

Refusing this demand, Ahn Chang-ho moved to Guadalajara, located near the U.S. border, and stayed at the Frances Hotel for about two months from late June to early July 1918. Ultimately, Ahn Chang-ho presented a Korean Empire passport instead of a Japanese one and headed to the United States through Nogales in the north.

A city where, 108 years ago, Ahn Chang-ho refused to yield to Japanese pressure and stayed while asserting sovereignty, is now where the South Korean national soccer team has set up its World Cup base camp ahead of the tournament finals.

Having arrived on the 6th and continuing with local adaptation and training, Hong Myung-bo's team aims to secure victories against Czech Republic in the first group stage match and against Mexico in the second, all within Guadalajara, a city with deep historical significance.

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*This content was translated by AI.