Demonstrations at Olympic Park enter fourth day
Political slogans, American flags banned by protesters themselves
Crowds draw clear line from election-fraud conspiracy theories, far-right groups
Public anger over ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections shows no sign of abating. Protests denouncing the National Election Commission's mismanagement entered their fourth day Monday at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Large crowds surrounded the park's vote-counting venue — the handball arena — over the weekend, with police informally estimating the crowd at roughly 40,000 at its peak. The vast majority were young people in their 20s and 30s. They said they had come out voluntarily to protest violations of their right to vote and were careful to distance themselves from any political faction.
Around 8 a.m. Monday, hundreds of demonstrators stood outside the handball arena holding hand-lettered signs and chanting "re-election" in unison. In a nearby parking lot, some protesters were spotted lying on picnic mats, catching sleep where they could.
A 25-year-old office worker surnamed Kwon, who said she had spent the night at the site, said she planned to head straight to work afterward. "I freshened up and put on makeup in the park restroom," she said. Kim Seok-hyeon, 25, a university student, said he had traveled up from Daegu in the early hours of Saturday and had been holding his spot for two days.
Choi, 25, who also stayed through the night, said she feared history would repeat itself if people simply moved on. "Something this serious happened — if we just let it go, the same thing will happen at the next election," she said. "I'm here because I don't want another election we can't trust."
Participants were unanimous that their reasons for joining had nothing to do with political affiliation. Notices posted around Olympic Park urged demonstrators to chant only slogans about the re-election demand and voting rights violations, to "act rationally so as not to invite misunderstanding," and to "keep the peace." In that spirit, far-right groups circulated a self-imposed ban on waving American flags over the weekend.
Park, 27, who visited Olympic Park over the weekend, said she worried the protest would be smeared by association with election-fraud conspiracy theories or specific political forces. "We are people who are angry because we couldn't vote," she said. Park is a resident of Munjeong 2-dong in Songpa-gu — one of the areas that ran out of ballots — and said she had received a waiting number but was ultimately unable to cast her vote.
A 32-year-old resident of Seocho-gu, Seoul, who gave only her surname Lee, said the ballot shortage was a violation of voting rights that should anger everyone regardless of political leaning. "I came out on my own, with no outside forces involved," she said.
The youth-led demonstrations struck a markedly different tone from rallies associated with established conservative groups. Participants set their own rules banning political slogans and the waving of American flags. Recycling stations were set up, and designated walkways were established to prevent accidents — visible signs of the crowd's effort to maintain order.
Seung Sa-yeop, 28, said he had volunteered to hand out over-the-counter medicines, drinks and portable battery packs. "Everyone seems to be making a conscious effort to stay orderly," he said.
However, elements seeking to push an election-fraud narrative are also present at Olympic Park. Signs reading "election-fraud slogans allowed" and "American flags allowed" can be spotted around the site.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions issued a statement Monday saying that "a citizen's single vote must never again be trampled by the incompetence and negligence of a state institution," and calling for a full investigation into the failure to protect voting rights and for sweeping reforms.
Police summoned a civic group that had filed a complaint against National Election Commission officials for a complainant interview. Kim Sun-hwan, secretary-general of the Citizens' Livelihood Committee, appeared at Gangdong Police Station in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, at around 9:35 a.m. Monday. "This is a matter of voting rights that all citizens should hold dear, regardless of political color," he said. "Running out of ballots is something even North Korea would laugh at."
Police have deployed around 350 riot officers in the Olympic Park area. Among demonstrators, there is talk that police may soon move to forcibly disperse the protest. Acting Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong said Sunday at a meeting with opposition party lawmakers, however, that "there will be no use of force against the citizens gathered in Jamsil."
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