Sport federations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) urged the opening of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District, Seoul, where a blockade protest has continued for nearly two months.
On the 28th, executives and staff from nine KSOC member federations asked for access to their offices and the ability to bring in essential materials to perform critical duties at a news conference hosted by lawmaker Kim Jae-won of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.
Earlier, the KSOC and the nine member federations said in a news release that they would again push to return to their office space next week. The groups have secured temporary office space and are maintaining only minimal operations.
On this day, Ham Se-hee, Secretary-General of the Korea Underwater Finswimming Association, said at the news conference, "We deeply agree that a parliamentary inquiry into major national matters must proceed without disruption," but added, "As office access restrictions drag on, it is becoming difficult to carry out even the basic tasks needed for sports administration."
Ham said, "All IT equipment and administrative materials are in the office, causing major difficulties in performing essential tasks such as supporting national team athletes, running domestic and international competitions, and handling civil petitions," adding, "There are also concerns this will disrupt preparations for the 2026 Asian Games."
They said delays in various administrative services, including issuing certificates needed for college admissions and employment, are spreading the harm to the general public.
Ham then asked the National Assembly and related agencies for active cooperation.
Ham said, "We seek cooperation from the National Assembly and related agencies so we can remove the administrative materials, IT equipment, and work items needed to perform essential duties," emphasizing, "On the premise of a transparent process, we hope to secure office access and the removal of essential work items."
The point is to guarantee transparent office access so as not to undermine trust in ballot boxes and voting materials or cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Lawmaker Kim Jae-won, who hosted the news conference, said, "The ultimate counterpart for discussions needed to enter the Handball Gymnasium is the people on site," adding, "Before deploying state power, we will prioritize talks for a peaceful resolution."
The Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, used as a ballot counting center for the June 3 local elections, has been under a blockade protest for more than 50 days. Damages from the blockade are estimated at more than 6 billion won.
The previous day, Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner Park Jeong-bo said in a regular briefing, "If the sports committee tries to enter the gymnasium, we will actively cooperate."