Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, Police Enter Handball Stadium Without Clashes 95 Days After Blockade Protest

Affiliated sport organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), with the cooperation of the police, entered the Jamsil Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu—which is currently serving as a vote-counting center and is under a blockade protest—today (the 8th).

This comes 95 days after the vote-counting center blockade protests, triggered by the ballot paper shortage incident during the June 3 local elections, began, and 84 days after KSOC's previous attempt to enter was thwarted on June 16 due to resistance from a protester nicknamed "Oldarc."

Employees from nine member sport organizations under KSOC, including the Korea Handball Federation, Korea Fencing Association, Korea Alpine Federation, Korea Wushu Association, and Korea Sepak Takraw Association—which maintain offices inside the vote-counting center—gathered near the vote-counting center around 9 a.m. today.

Upon receiving a request for operational cooperation from KSOC, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency deployed its Chief of Public Safety to oversee the site on-site, with the Head of the Mobile Police Division and the Chief of the Songpa Police Station commanding the scene.

Additionally, 28 police riot units were deployed near Olympic Park, and 200 riot police officers were positioned at the entrance gates, surrounding the area with barricades to restrict the movement of protesters.

When dozens of employees from the sport organizations moved toward Gates 2 and 3 to enter, about 50 nearby protesters rushed toward them but were blocked by the police.

The number of participants has significantly decreased as the protests have become prolonged.

When the gates opened at 9:13 a.m., some protesters protested against the police, shouting, "Why are you trying to enter?", "How do we know you won't tamper with evidence?", and "Previously, it was agreed that citizens would enter together, so why aren't you negotiating today?"

However, no physical clashes occurred as the police installed barricades and formed a human chain to block the passage of the protesters.

Starting at 9:20 a.m., sport organization employees scattered to their respective offices inside the handball gymnasium and began gathering work-related items.

They swiftly packed items into boxes marked with sport names, including documents, computer towers and monitors, clothing that appeared to be uniforms, and paperwork.

According to the police, before the sport organization employees entered the vote-counting center, the special counsel team for the June 3 ballot paper shortage led by Lee Tae-han and officials from the National Election Commission (NEC) entered the center first to take safety measures regarding the ballot papers and other items.

KSOC maintains that entry was inevitable as severe disruptions to its operations have occurred due to restricted access to the offices inside the stadium for over three months.

Although they repeatedly conveyed the need to enter the vote-counting center to political circles, failing to make progress, they recently decided to enter today following discussions with the police.

Through a press notice, KSOC stated, "Severe disruptions are occurring in each organization's administrative work, tournament operations, and support for national athlete delegations," adding, "Accordingly, in order to normalize the bare minimum operations of the tenant organizations, KSOC has been consulting with the police and others to retrieve essential work items stored in the offices, such as computers and IT equipment, work files, documents, accounting materials, tournament operation supplies, and items related to national team training and competition participation."

They added, "On the 4th, we sent an official letter requesting cooperation for entering the handball gymnasium to the National Police Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and we are attempting entry 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 KSOC has attempted to enter the handball gymnasium.

After their first attempt on June 9, the fourth day of the blockade, they made several attempts, but were repeatedly blocked by the protesters' resistance.

On June 16, nine sport organizations gathered and, with the mediation of the People Power Party and the help of the police, reached the front door, but entry fell through when a female protester grabbed the door handle and refused to move aside.

At the time, conservative online communities revered the woman, calling her "Oldarc," a contraction of "Olympic Park Joan of Arc."

Subsequently, the National Assembly's Special Committee on Parliamentary Investigation 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 NEC does not plan to take separate measures to retrieve or recount ballot boxes and ballots stored inside the vote-counting center today.

Previously, the National Assembly's Special Committee on Parliamentary Investigation into the "June 3 Ballot Paper Shortage Incident" pursued an open recount at the vote-counting center, but concluded its activities without reconciling differences over the recount method and procedures.

(Produced by SBS Digital News | Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.