It emerged on the 17th that the national fencing team, unable to pack their personal equipment due to the fallout from the protest blocking the Jamsil ballot-counting center, will borrow gear to compete at the Asian Championships.
Men's national team fencing coach Won U-yeong said while departing through Incheon International Airport on the 16th that "personal and new equipment are at the arena but access is blocked, so the athletes secured and procured equipment themselves."
The roster includes athletes such as Oh Sang-uk (Daejeon City Hall), Song Se-ra (Busan City Hall), and Jeon Ha-yeong (Seoul City Hall).
The national fencing team will compete at the Asian Championships in New Delhi, India, from the 18th to the 24th. Along with the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Asian Games, this event is grouped as a "Grand Slam" major tournament.
The athletes had stored their own fencing swords, jackets, and shoes in the Korea Fencing Federation office inside Olympic Park Live Arena (the former Handball Arena), but when the Live Arena was sealed off, they were unable to retrieve their gear.
The Live Arena was also used as the ballot-counting center for Songpa District, Seoul, in the June 3 9th nationwide local elections. Because of this, protesters flocked there over a ballot shortage issue, and the blockade has continued for 12 days.
As a result, with Korea Fencing Federation staff struggling to enter the office and unable to carry out remittance work, they reportedly had trouble from even paying the Asian Championships entry fees.
Nine sport associations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), including the Korea Fencing Federation, are housed inside the Live Arena. They include handball, mountaineering, wushu, sepak takraw, finswimming, billiards, dance sport, and water skiing and wake sports.
Because of this, Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min, at a press conference, requested prompt police action, saying, "The damage from the work stoppage has swelled to 6 billion won. We will take out only what is necessary for work."