Protest at Olympic Park enters its 11th day

12 sports organizations left unable to operate

Police warn of strict punishment for crimes at scene

The entrance to the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, is blocked Monday as a sit-in demanding a by-election over the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections continues for an 11th consecutive day. Photo by Lim Se-jun
The entrance to the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, is blocked Monday as a sit-in demanding a by-election over the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections continues for an 11th consecutive day. Photo by Lim Se-jun

A protest sparked by a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections has entered its 11th day, with demonstrators maintaining a blockade of the handball arena at Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa-gu and inflicting mounting damage on the sports organizations based inside.

The organizations have pleaded for access to their offices, but protest organizers have largely refused to open the doors. Fencing athletes are preparing for an upcoming Asian championship but have been unable to retrieve their equipment. The organizations held a press conference Monday calling on demonstrators to let them return to work.

Sports bodies grind to a halt as arena stays sealed

Demonstrators have been gathered outside the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu since June 5, demanding a by-election and changes to the voting process.

They have sealed every entrance to the arena, where ballot boxes are being stored, and have even covered the windows. Protesters have formed a large perimeter around the building, making entry impossible.

The sports organizations that operate out of the arena have been left completely unable to function. Officials from the groups said computers and other office equipment remain locked inside, along with one-time password cards, corporate credit cards, official seals and other materials needed for administrative and accounting work — including payroll and tax payments. Coaches and sports instructors have not received their salaries.

Twelve sports organizations are based in the arena, including the Korea Handball Federation, the Korea Fencing Federation, the Korea Alpine Federation, the Korea Wushu Federation and the Korea Sepaktakraw Association.

A protester objects as sports organizations hold a press conference outside the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 11, calling for a return to normal operations. [Yonhap]
A protester objects as sports organizations hold a press conference outside the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 11, calling for a return to normal operations. [Yonhap]

An attempt to retrieve equipment on June 10 ended in failure. The sports organizations asked protest organizers to allow a small team inside to collect office equipment. After negotiations, both sides agreed on a three-person group — one representative each from the sports bodies, the protest and the police — and a resolution appeared within reach.

But some protesters quickly objected. They demanded that the entry be filmed and livestreamed on YouTube, a condition the sports organizations rejected out of concern that confidential documents and office security codes could be exposed. The organizations left empty-handed.

The following day, June 11, a press conference held by the sports organizations outside the arena turned confrontational. A woman in her 50s rushed the event, and about 30 protesters swarmed the scene, shouting slogans including "fraudulent election — hold a by-election" and "are you with Daejinyeon?" — a reference to a progressive student group — disrupting the proceedings.

As the atmosphere grew hostile, organizers suspended the press conference and moved to a nearby location to continue. Representatives from the various organizations described the hardships they faced. An official from a fencing federation said the situation was dire ahead of the Asian Fencing Championships. "We can't even send the equipment — athletes need to be familiar with their gear, and we can't get it to them," the official said. "The athletes are very anxious."

The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee plans to hold another press conference Monday calling for the sports organizations to be allowed to resume normal operations. A committee official said it would reaffirm respect for the right to protest while urging demonstrators to allow the organizations to work. "We currently have no plans to file a complaint with police against the protest organizers," the official said.

"The priority is to be able to work inside the arena as soon as possible," the official added. "If that is not possible, we need a day or two to at least retrieve our office equipment and get back to normal operations. Right now we are completely paralyzed."

Police investigating 15 crimes at protest scene

As protesters maintain an unyielding blockade of the arena, criminal incidents have continued to mount. Demonstrators were accused of coercion after blocking young handball players trying to retrieve training equipment, and a journalist leaving the arena was assaulted.

Young handball national team players are stopped by protesters at the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 8 as they attempt to retrieve training equipment. [Provided by reader]
Young handball national team players are stopped by protesters at the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 8 as they attempt to retrieve training equipment. [Provided by reader]

On June 8, young players arrived at the handball arena to collect training equipment, including internationally certified balls, but protesters blocked their entry, citing a policy of allowing no one inside the arena where Songpa-gu's ballot boxes are stored.

On June 5, the day protesters first gathered in force and began the full blockade, a journalist trying to leave the arena was stopped and assaulted.

Police said they would pursue strict punishment. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo, speaking at a regular press briefing Monday at the agency's office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said investigators are looking into 15 cases across four broad categories: assaults on journalists, the stopping and searching of young handball players, insults directed at police officers, and altercations among protesters.

"Assaulting a journalist is absolutely unacceptable," Park said. "Using the force of numbers to intimidate others is an extremely serious crime." He said police are applying charges of unlawful confinement and that cases involving group coercion are subject to aggravated penalties.

Park said the incident involving the young handball players would be treated as aggravated coercion rather than simple coercion. "They used the force of numbers, so we are investigating it as aggravated coercion, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years — a very severe sentence," he said.

Police said they remain committed to protecting peaceful expression. "Police view the Songpa protest site as a public forum that people have gathered at voluntarily," Park said. "Peaceful expression of opinion is a constitutional right of citizens, and we are actively upholding that right."


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