With protests continuing for the 12th day in front of the ballot counting site at Olympic Park Handball Arena in Songpa District, Seoul, amid a shortage of ballots in the 9th nationwide local elections (June 3 local elections), police and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) have tried to enter and are facing off with protesters.
Police and employees of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) tried to enter the Olympic Park Handball Arena at about 9 a.m. on the 16th. But as protesters pushed back, as of 10:20 a.m. that day they had retreated and were continuing discussions.
Police and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) proposed entering together with protesters and others to retrieve items needed for sport-by-sport administrative work.
According to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), the Handball Arena houses offices for nine sport federations: handball, fencing, wushu, sepak takraw, mountaineering, dancesport, water-ski and wakeboard, underwater and finswimming, and billiards. The KSOC said work has been paralyzed as the blockade protest continues and preparations for international competitions are also being disrupted.
Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), held a press conference the previous day and said, "We in the sports community respect the freedom of assembly and demonstration guaranteed by the Constitution," but added, "No right should be exercised in a way that infringes on the rights of other citizens and public functions." He continued, "We ask for support to deploy state authority as soon as possible so the secretariat can operate smoothly."