Public Verification of Ballots at Olympic Park Tomorrow; Police Deploy Over 3,300 Personnel to Maintain Order

As the special counsel team of the Election Commission, led by Lee Tae-han, sets out to publicly verify ballots at the Olympic Park in Jamsil, Seoul, tomorrow (the 28th), the police are deploying a large-scale mobile force to manage order at the scene.

The personnel deployed to the site consist of 48 mobile units, 150 dialogue police officers, and 300 detectives and investigators.

Considering that one mobile unit comprises about 60 people, a massive police force of approximately 3,330 personnel will be deployed to Olympic Park.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated, "We clearly recognize the gravity of the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections and the importance of uncovering the truth," adding, "Since June 5, we have made utmost efforts to ensure that the ballots and other items stored inside the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park, which are subject to investigation, are not damaged."

It further stated, "The police actively support the special counsel team's strict investigation and efforts to uncover the truth regarding suspicions of infringement on citizens' right to vote," and added, "We plan to closely coordinate with the special counsel's verification on the 28th to ensure no loopholes in cooperating for site safety and order maintenance."

Through this public verification, the special counsel team plans to inspect approximately 2.47 million ballots from Songpa-gu and items such as on-site CCTVs.

The special counsel team plans to deploy all available personnel, including over 110 prosecutors and special counsel assistants, and verify the integrity of the ballots, including any discrepancies in number and whether they were forged, through this verification.

Considering the public interest and symbolism of the issue, the special counsel team has arranged for about 100 observers, including ruling and opposition lawmakers and an observation group selected by the National Assembly—which holds parliamentary audit powers—to watch the procedure.

The so-called Olympic Park incident involves protests and the blocking of a counting center related to the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections, and rallies have continued for over four months.

Regarding the recount issue, there was previously an attempt at a recount by the National Assembly's special committee on parliamentary investigation, but it ultimately fell through as the ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an internal agreement on the timing and method.

(Reported by Son Hyeong-an | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.