[Anchor]

Employees of athletic organizations with offices at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium have finally entered the building, 95 days after protests began blocking the vote-counting center. They rushed in to retrieve essential supplies needed for the Asian Games, which open next week.

Reporter Im Jihyeon has the story from the scene.

[Reporter]

At 9:00 a.m., riot police are deployed to the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, forming a human chain around exits 2 and 3.

[How will you take responsibility if evidence is destroyed by entering without any legal safety measures?]

Dozens of protesters blocking the vote-counting center shout and strongly protest, but shortly afterward, the doors open, and representatives from nine sports organizations file inside carrying empty boxes.

Entering their offices 95 days after the blockade began, the employees hurriedly gathered items needed for the Asian Games—which are just 11 days away—such as foreign athlete analysis footage and training equipment.

[Is that a medals box? Medals are out! Take the medals out!]

Athletic organizations have previously appealed that they lacked not only seals needed for payroll and other administrative tasks, but also the equipment to take to international competitions. Within an hour this morning, they secured enough items to fill six 1-ton trucks.

[Kim Dae-nyun / Secretary General, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee : We faced many difficulties, but now that we have retrieved our equipment and documents, we will thoroughly review them and do our best to ensure there are no disruptions in operating the national team.]

To ensure smooth access and prevent clashes, about 1,800 personnel from 28 police riot units were deployed. Staff from the National Election Commission and Independent Counsel Lee Tae-han's special investigation team entered first to take necessary measures for preserving the ballot boxes.

[Woo Jong-hwa / Head of Security Division, Songpa Police Station : Officials from the special counsel and the election commission moved to the location where the ballots are stored and completed the necessary safety measures...]

The athletic organizations' entry today was carried out through consultations with the police, as the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee determined they could no longer delay, with the Asian Games and university admissions athletic department early admissions screenings approaching.

No forced measures, such as dispersing the protesters, were taken, and the blockade of the vote-counting center continues.

Meanwhile, prosecutors demanded a two-year prison sentence today (September 8) for a woman in her 40s accused of swearing at and spitting on a police officer at the blockade protest site last June.

(Camera Reporter: Kim Seung-tae | Video Editor: Kim Jun-hee)