World Cup Fever and Enfants Terribles World Cup fever is just sweeping the whole nation. At last, 2-0 victory over Poland gave Korea's supporters something to shout out. On that Tuesday night when Team Korea achieved its first ever World Cup soccer victory, hundreds of thousands of Korean people swarmed the main streets all over the country to celebrate the glorious milestone on home soil. It was a moment that touched the hearts of many from all walks of life and brought tears of joy to the country. Particularly, the streets of metropolitan areas were covered with people, mostly young, dressed in red T-shirts, which looked like a sea of red. At the very heart of this fever were the Red Devils, fervently screaming and shouting "Dae-Han-Min-Guk (South Korea)." It is true that the energetic spirit of the Red Devils has been successively playing a vital role in inspiring both Team Korea and the whole nation. The Red Devils, who have formed a group in 1997, are mostly in their 20s and 30s. Youth is pure, energetic, and full of fresh ideas, always challenging the untried; youth is also impetuous, unpredictable, and even rebellious, always being discontented with their present situation. They are the future of our society, a new force, enfants terribles, whose driving, but inebriating, ambition can be possibly funneled into a powerful interest group in the political arena. Leaving aside all the enthusiasm for a moment and cooling down our heated body and mind, we must look into the seamy side of this World Cup frenzy. The politicians are already calculating their gains and losses in this election year--how to capitalize on this World Cup fever. What kind of change such excitement would bring to us? It could be a positive phenomenon only when group behavior without political ideology is involved. It could be beneficial to us, as John Dickinson said, "United we stand, divided we fall." It could be also highly dangerous because there is a possibility of artful blend of nationalism and populism manipulated by "invisible hands." It is awful to imagine that somewhere in the hind sight some extreme power-mongers, whether they are rightists or leftists, are scheming and plotting to exploit the energy of young people, full of vigor and vitality. They may bide their time to seize their opportunity with "privy paw" behind the scene. What makes humans different from animals is that humans have rationality to balance their instinct. We must not abuse the dreams, passions, and energies of young people. Rather, we must show them who are seeking to manipulate and exploit information and even knowingly dispense false information that their maneuvering could backfire on themselves. Cheering for the victory at the World Cup should be a cry for a healthy, moderate, and mature society where reason and commonsense should be social rules. Or, the excitement that filled up the nation could be a nightmare for our future.