Police secure ballot boxes at Seoul polling station after more than 30-hour standoff
Published: 05 Jun. 2026, 09:55
Updated: 05 Jun. 2026, 10:54
![Police takes two ballot boxes from the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 5. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/05/305f064f-18d9-4fe3-a8fd-e4dfb46a4a48.jpg)
Police takes two ballot boxes from the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 5. [YONHAP]
The police secured two ballot boxes from the Seoul polling station, following a more than 30-hour standoff with protesters who alleged election fraud.
Around 1,000 riot officers were dispatched to the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong in Songpa District, southern Seoul, at 7:50 a.m. on Friday, about 34 hours after protesters first blocked the polling station.
Some 300 people, including YouTubers and other citizens, had gathered in front of the polling station before the police deployed riot officers to the scene. The crowd was prepared for a prolonged standoff, having brought around 100 plastic chairs to the site, and blocked the entry to the polling station.
The riot officers entered the polling station at 8:50 a.m. and secured the two ballot boxes that had remained there since Wednesday. The boxes contain about 2,000 ballots, which the National Election Commission (NEC) must count to formally confirm Oh Se-hoon's victory in the Seoul mayoral race.
When the riot police first arrived, some protesters attempted to stop them, turning the area outside the polling station into one of chaos.
![Riot officers clash with protesters on site as they try to enter the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 5. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/06/05/e187dc40-4b11-4205-8dbf-a28600a0825a.jpg)
Riot officers clash with protesters on site as they try to enter the polling station in Jamsil 7-dong in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on June 5. [YONHAP]
“We received a request from the NEC to assist in maintaining order during the transport of ballot boxes,” the officers said upon their arrival. “Please cooperate with police measures to secure a route for the vehicles transporting the ballot boxes.”
However, protesters responded by singing the national anthem and blocking officers from approaching the polling station. Some also locked arms together in front of the entrance to prohibit the officers from coming in.
The Jamsil 7-dong polling station was one of the sites where voting was delayed during the June 3 local elections due to a shortage of ballot papers. While the NEC allowed those who lined up to cast their votes after the 6 p.m. deadline, the lack of ballots drew protesters, who alleged election fraud, to the scene.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN CHAN-WOO,KIM NAM-JUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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