Seoul: The national Olympic body on Monday urged the government to take action against protesters who have been obstructing access to sports federation offices situated within a ballot counting location for the recent local elections.
According to Yonhap News Agency, protests demanding a rerun of the June 3 elections have persisted for the past 11 days, following ballot shortages that disrupted polling at several stations. Thousands of demonstrators have gathered outside the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul, blocking entry to prevent election officials from removing ballot boxes, and hindering employees of the nine national sports federations based there from accessing their workplaces.
Representatives from the affected sports organizations have reported significant disruptions to their operations. The Korea Underwater Association, for instance, has experienced setbacks in preparing for the finswimming world championships scheduled for next week in Incheon. Meanwhile, the Korean Fencing Federation has been unable to transport necessary equipment to its athletes competing in the Asian championships in India, forcing the fencers to borrow swords.
Protesters, who accuse sports officials of attempting to remove ballot boxes, have remained steadfast in their blockade. Some protesters have even been accused of searching through personal belongings of youth handball players at the venue.
In this context, Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC), made a public appeal for intervention during a press conference on Monday, accompanied by representatives from the impacted sports federations.
"The situation has created massive financial losses and has had a negative impact on support that must be provided for our athletes preparing for the Asian Games (in September)," Ryu stated. "We'd like to ask for authorities to step in and help these sports organizations get just the bare essentials to resume their operations."
Ryu emphasized that the KSOC and its member organizations seek to avoid any violent confrontations. "We all respect the right to assembly as guaranteed by the Constitution," Ryu affirmed. "However, no rights must infringe upon other rights or violate public functions. Sports administrators, athletes, and coaches who use the arena have nothing to do with the ongoing situation (with ballot shortages), and yet they're enduring the most severe damage. We can no longer sit idly by as the dreams of our athletes continue to be ruined. We strongly demand that entry to sports offices inside the stadium be allowed again immediately."
Ryu also mentioned that the KSOC is ready to pursue "any possible legal action" against the protesters, including criminal proceedings. "We ask the government and police to recognize the severity of damage against our sports organizations and to swiftly prepare solutions," he added. "We've been pushed to the limit. We have tried to negotiate with protesters, but we have run out of answers. The situation has been getting worse, and the sense of anxiety among our athletes and coaches has been growing."
The names of the officials accompanying Ryu at the press conference were withheld for safety reasons. They reported instances of verbal abuse and threats received via text messages or phone calls after their contact information was shared among protesters during negotiation attempts for access to their offices.
"Our right to work must be respected as much as people's political rights," one representative asserted. "I hope protesters will open the doors to the stadium democratically so that we can get back to our workplaces."
Earlier in the day, Seoul police chief Park Jeong-bo labeled the blockade of the stadium as "a clear illegal act" and cautioned that protesters could face investigation for obstruction of business.