Entrance 'Tied Shut' with String: Fencing National Team Departs After Borrowing Gear

[Anchor]

Sports organizations that need to conduct their business are still unable to enter their offices due to protesters at the Olympic Park. Just when it seemed an agreement had been reached, the situation was blocked by a single individual.

Reporter Dong Eunyeong has the story.

[Reporter]

As police officers in fluorescent vests approached the entrance with cameras to collect evidence, protesters immediately blocked their path.

[Protester: Fraudulent election, hold a re-election.]

Yesterday (June 16) morning, sports organizations based at the stadium attempted to enter the facility at the Seoul Olympic Park with the help of the police.

A standoff ensued for about three hours as the protesters resisted.

[Police: If you obstruct this, you may be charged with obstruction of business under the Criminal Act.]

Even requests to enter alongside the protesters were to no avail.

[Official from a sports organization: Please let us take our things out. Please. We are just trying to enter our own office, why are you blocking us?]

Arguments even broke out among the protesters themselves as they disagreed on how to proceed.

[Protester: Why are you deciding this here? You should ask the citizens who guarded (the polling station). You two do not have the authority.]

There was talk that entry into the stadium would be possible following mediation by People Power Party lawmakers who visited the site in the afternoon.

[Jang Dong-hyuk, Representative of the People Power Party: Two people from each organization will enter sequentially to retrieve their items, and two cameras will accompany them. Our lawmakers will also enter with them.]

However, a female protester blocked the door, insisting that not a single person would be allowed in.

[Protester: No! You cannot!]

The People Power Party lawmakers, who took turns trying to persuade her, eventually gave up and withdrew.

[Protester: (Are you okay?) ... (What was your reasoning for blocking the entrance?) ...]

Once the sports organizations retreated, the protesters tied the door handles with string and wrapped them multiple times with duct tape.

Due to the stadium blockade, which has now entered its 12th day, the national fencing team, which departed yesterday for the Asian Championships, had to leave for the event after borrowing equipment from other athletes.

(Video reporting: Yang Ji-hoon, Kim Young-hwan | Video editing: Choi Hye-ran | Footage courtesy of Left-wing Bomber TV)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.