A practice grenade has been discovered near the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Seoul, where protests have been ongoing following a shortage of ballots, prompting a police investigation into how the item arrived at the scene.

A report was filed around noon today (June 29) regarding an object suspected to be a grenade found near the gymnasium.

It is reported that a protest participant volunteering at the site suspected the object could be a real grenade and notified the police.

Upon arrival, police officers confirmed that the item was a practice grenade with its detonator removed, posing no risk of explosion.

The police are currently investigating the specific circumstances under which the grenade was brought to the protest site.

With protests near the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium continuing for the 25th day, a series of incidents and accidents have been occurring.

Previously, a woman in her 40s was arrested for swearing at and spitting on a police officer during the "vote counting site blockade protest."

The woman was arrested in the act on the 23rd after asking for the name of a police officer managing the protest site in front of Gates 1-3 of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, and then proceeding to spit on and verbally abuse the officer.

The court issued an arrest warrant for the woman, stating that there was a risk of flight and a possibility of recidivism.

On the 17th, a man in his 30s was also arrested on charges of special intimidation after brandishing a weapon and self-harming at the protest site.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News