Man in His 30s Arrested After Brandishing Weapon; Lawmakers Retreat Amid Jeers

[Anchor]

A man has been arrested after brandishing a weapon at the vote-counting center in Seoul Olympic Park, which has been under blockade for 14 days. Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmakers visited the site but turned back after just 10 minutes due to strong opposition from protesters.

Reporter Dong Eunyeong has the story.

[Reporter]

A man holding a South Korean flag in one hand and a weapon in the other shouts at the crowd.

[Voice: "People are being killed in there!"]

Bloodstains are clearly visible on the man's left sleeve.

Shortly after, police officers surround the man.

[Voice: "Citizens, please remain calm..."]

The police then subdue the man.

At approximately 10:25 p.m. yesterday (June 17), a man in his 30s was arrested after causing a disturbance with a weapon at the protest site blockading the Seoul Olympic Park vote-counting center.

The man reportedly threatened people with the weapon in front of gates 1-3 of the stadium before inflicting self-harm.

He was transported to a hospital for treatment, and no other casualties have been reported.

Earlier in the day, Democratic Party lawmakers Cheon Jun-ho, Jeon Yong-gi, and former handball player Im Oh-kyung visited the protest site, only to be met with strong protests from the participants.

[Voice: "Why are you here! Why!"]

Although Representative Cheon stated, "The ruling and opposition parties will work together to uncover the truth through a parliamentary investigation into election management system reform," his remarks were not well-received.

[Cheon Jun-ho/Democratic Party Lawmaker (Yesterday): "I respect your voices as you strive to protect the right to vote. However, I believe the activities of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee must be guaranteed."]

The lawmakers were met with jeers and profanity, forcing them to leave after just 10 minutes.

[Voice: "Rigged election! Rigged election!"]

Protesters continue to stage sit-ins throughout the handball stadium, monitoring the entry of outsiders.

An agreement appeared to be in reach after the People Power Party leadership intervened the day before yesterday, but the effort fell through when a female protester blocked the entrance.

[Park Dae-chul/People Power Party Lawmaker (Day before yesterday): "(The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee) will not have any access to the ballot boxes at all... (We can't trust you!)"]

The police plan to launch an investigation into the woman who single-handedly blocked access to the offices of organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee on charges including obstruction of business.

Reported by Oh Young-chun and Kim Seung-tae | Video by Choi Hye-ran | Source: Threads (@best_chef_bkc, @jx._.eun, @din0wl, @lvisvl)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.