▲ Police remove paper with the phrase "fraudulent election revote" on it to enter the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, as protests blocking the Jamsil vote-counting center continue on the 8th.
Sport event organizations affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) entered the Jamsil Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium (vote-counting center) in Songpa-gu today (the 8th) with the cooperation of the police, amid an ongoing blockade protest.
This comes 95 days after the vote-counting center blockade protest—triggered by the ballot paper shortage incident during the June 3 local elections—began, and 84 days after an attempt by the sports council to enter was thwarted on June 16 due to resistance from a protester dubbed "Oldarc."
Employees from nine KSOC-affiliated sport member organizations, including the Korea Handball Federation, Korea Fencing Federation, Korea Alpine Federation, Korea Wushu Association, and Korea Sepaktakraw Association, which have offices inside the vote-counting center, gathered near the vote-counting center around 9:00 AM today.
Upon receiving a request for operational cooperation from the KSOC, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency deployed its Chief of Public Safety to oversee the site, with the head of the Mobile Police Division and the chief of the Songpa Police Station commanding operations on the ground.
Additionally, 28 police units were deployed around Olympic Park, and 200 riot police officers were positioned at the entrance gates to restrict the movement of protesters using barricades.
When dozens of employees from the sport organizations moved toward Gates 2 and 3 to enter, about 50 protesters nearby rushed toward the area but were blocked by the police.
The number of participants has significantly decreased as the protest has become prolonged.
When the gates opened at 9:13 AM, some protesters protested against the police, asking, "Why are you trying to go in?", "How do we know you won't tamper with evidence?", and "Previously, it was agreed that citizens would go in together, so why aren't you negotiating today?"
However, no physical clashes occurred as police installed barricades and formed a human chain to block the passage of protesters.
Starting at 9:20 AM, employees of the sport organizations dispersed to their respective offices inside the handball gymnasium and began packing work-related items.
They swiftly crammed documents, computer main units and monitors, clothing appearing to be uniforms, paperwork, and other items into boxes marked with their sport names.
According to the police, before the sport organization employees entered the vote-counting center, a special counsel team led by Lee Tae-han regarding the National Election Commission and officials from the National Election Commission entered first to take safety measures regarding the ballot papers and other materials.
The KSOC stated that entering was inevitable as severe disruptions to their work occurred due to restricted access to the offices inside the stadium for over three months.
Having repeatedly conveyed their position to political circles that entering the vote-counting center was necessary without making headway, they recently decided to enter today following discussions with the police.
Through a press notice, the KSOC stated, "Serious disruptions are occurring in each organization's administrative work, tournament operations, and support for the national athletic delegation." They added, "Accordingly, in order to normalize the minimum operations of the tenant organizations, the KSOC has been discussing with the police and others to retrieve essential work items, such as computers and IT equipment stored in the offices, work files, documents, accounting materials, competition operation goods, and items related to national team training and competition participation."
They further stated, "On the 4th, we sent official cooperation documents to the National Police Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for entering the handball gymnasium, and we are attempting to enter today with the cooperation of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency."
In particular, they maintain that entering the offices is essential to prepare for the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games opening in Japan on the 19th.
This is not the first time the KSOC has attempted to enter the handball gymnasium.
After their first attempt on June 9, the fourth day of the blockade, they tried to enter multiple times, but each time they were blocked by the protesters' opposition.
On June 16, nine sport organizations gathered and attempted to reach the front entrance with the help of police arbitrated by the People Power Party, but entry fell through when a female protester held onto the door handle and refused to move.
At the time, conservative communities praised the woman, calling her "Oldarc," a short form for "Olympic Park Joan of Arc."
Later, the National Assembly's Parliamentary Investigation Special Committee entered the interior of the handball gymnasium for an on-site inspection on July 2, but internal entry by the sport organizations was not achieved.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission does not plan to take separate measures to retrieve or recount ballot boxes and ballot papers stored inside the vote-counting center today.
Previously, the National Assembly's Parliamentary Investigation Special Committee on the "June 3 Ballot Shortage Incident" pushed for a public recount at the vote-counting center, but ended its activities without reconciling differences regarding the method and procedure of the recount.
(Produced by SBS Digital News / Photo: Yonhap News)
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