Nine federations access blocked offices with police help, just over 10 days before Asian Games

Relief as critical equipment, documents secured after three-month lockout

Officials from nine sports federations affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee carry out equipment and administrative computers from their offices at the handball arena in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Officials from nine sports federations affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee carry out equipment and administrative computers from their offices at the handball arena in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Sports federations that had been unable to support their national team athletes due to a protest-driven office lockout managed to retrieve essential supplies Tuesday with police assistance — their first access in three months, just days before the Asian Games.

Staff from nine Korean Sport & Olympic Committee member federations — including the Korea Handball Federation, Korea Fencing Federation, Korea Alpine Federation, Korea Wushu Federation and Korea Sepaktakraw Federation, all of which have offices at the handball arena in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul — entered the building with police help Tuesday morning and spent 50 minutes to an hour removing needed items.

The handball arena had been sealed since June 5, when protesters blockaded the venue after it was used as a vote-counting center during the June 3 local elections, following a ballot shortage. Tuesday marked 95 days since the lockout began, and 84 days since a Korean Sport & Olympic Committee attempt to enter the offices was blocked on June 16 by a group known as "Oldarc."

Police deployed about 2,000 personnel Tuesday morning — including 28 riot units, negotiators and detectives — to strictly control contact between outside protesters and federation staff during the retrieval.

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee Secretary General Kim Dae-nyeon said the organization had no choice but to ask for police cooperation. "With the Asian Games right around the corner, administrative equipment, documents and athlete support gear were all tied up inside," he said. "Now that we've gotten the equipment and documents out, we will do our best to ensure team operations run without disruption."

Federation staff, stepping into their workplaces for the first time in months, said they were relieved to finally be able to provide administrative support to national team athletes and coaches heading to the Asian Games.

A Korea Handball Federation official said nine staff members retrieved all items essential to running competitions and daily operations, including the organization's official seal, bank books and an electronic scoreboard. "During the lockout we had to borrow or buy extra supplies, which was very difficult," the official said. "But being able to get the essentials out today has taken a huge weight off our shoulders."

A Korea Alpine Federation official said the truck's limited capacity meant staff had to prioritize carefully, taking computers for administrative work, accounting records needed to pay athlete allowances and sponsor-supplied goods. "We were especially relieved to be able to bring out the uniforms our national team athletes will wear at the Asian Games," the official said.

A Korea Fencing Federation official said staff focused on the most urgent items first, including blades, uniforms and fencing stockings to be distributed to athletes. "We had been working without a bank book or official seal all this time, so having them back is a huge relief," the official said. "We also brought out college-application documents, so our athletes won't run into any problems there."

The fencing federation had already been forced to scramble through the lockout, hosting the Asian Championships in June and the World Championships in July without access to its offices. Athletes had to source their own equipment through their clubs or individually because gear stored inside the building could not be retrieved. The federation also rushed to import swords at one point to cope with the shortage.


yjc@heraldcorp.com