As protests continue at Olympic Park in Songpa District, Seoul, over a shortage of ballot papers in the 9th nationwide local elections held simultaneously (the June 3 local elections), police said they would respond strictly to illegal acts.
The Korean National Police Agency said on the 9th that "there have been regrettable cases in which some participants obstructed the passage of law-abiding citizens or searched other people's belongings without legal authority," adding, "we are actively supporting citizens' movement, increasing the deployment of dialogue police, and have arranged for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency leadership to direct operations on site."
It added that "we will respect and actively protect legitimate expressions of opinion that fall under constitutional fundamental rights to the greatest extent," but also said, "we will take strict action against clear illegal acts such as assault, defamation, and coercion targeting citizens, reporters, and police and fire personnel."
The previous day, protesters searched the belongings of girls' youth national handball team players who were leaving the handball arena in Olympic Park, where the Songpa District ballot-counting site had been set up, sparking controversy. Some protesters also assaulted a broadcast reporter.
Posts claiming that officers working on site were "Chinese police" or "fake police" spread on social media (SNS). The Korean National Police Agency said the previous day that, after checking all cases in which suspicions were raised, they were confirmed to be police officers of the Republic of Korea.
The Korean National Police Agency emphasized, however, that it would guarantee protest activities except for illegal acts. The Korean National Police Agency said, "the ballot paper shortage that occurred during this local election is a grave matter directly linked to the infringement of suffrage, the core of popular sovereignty, and we clearly recognize that ordinary citizens' free expression of opinion must naturally be protected and respected as a basic right of the people."