Protesters block police from entering vote-counting center

Police attempted to enter a vote-counting center at Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday but ended up locked in a standoff with protesters.

The entry attempt comes on the 12th day of demonstrations enveloping the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, where citizens have been demanding a re-run of the recent local elections on June 3 due to ballot shortages during voting.

The police confrontation came a day after Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), called for police intervention to protect the sports organizations housed in the gymnasium who have not been able to go to work.

"At the very least, we ask that public authority be deployed as soon as possible so that normal operations can resume," Ryu said in a press conference on Monday. "The distruption to sports administration caused by the protest goes beyond mere inconvenience and threatens the livelihoods of athletes and coaches.”

The KSOC president also threatened to pursue “all possible legal action,” including civil and criminal proceedings.

Nine national sports federations under the KSOC, such as fencing and billiards, along with three incorporated associations, have offices inside the gymnasium. Employees of those organizations have been unable to access their offices since June 5.

The protest began after ballot boxes from a polling station in Songpa District — where voting was disrupted by ballot shortages during the local elections — were moved to the gymnasium for counting.

"Protesters should refrain from infringing on the rights of others while expressing their views," President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X on Monday. "I have instructed police to thoroughly investigate not only those directly involved, but also anyone who conspired in acts of obstruction of business such as attempts to block civilians from entering the facility.”

Meanwhile, police are investigating 15 cases of alleged illegal acts committed during the protests outside the vote-counting center.

Authorities plan to book and investigate individuals who block access to sports organizations on suspicion of obstructing business.

"We will respond firmly to any confirmed cases of obstruction of business," said Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo on Monday. "Evidence collection is ongoing and those responsible will be held accountable under the law."

BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]