Seoul: Prime Minister Kim Min-seok vowed Tuesday to deal sternly with any illegal acts involved in protests sparked by ballot shortages in this month's local elections amid growing complaints that protesters are restricting entrances to a gymnasium at the center of the rally site.
According to Yonhap News Agency, hundreds of protesters continued to gather around SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Jamsil for the 12th consecutive day, demanding a rerun of the June 3 mayoral and gubernatorial elections. These elections were marred by unprecedented ballot shortages that led to the suspension of voting at 26 polling stations.
The protests were initially centered around the gymnasium because it was used as a vote counting center. Although vote counting has been completed and the facility is no longer serving that purpose, protesters are still blocking access to the gymnasium, impacting the activities of sports officials working there.
Prime Minister Kim stated, "The Jamsil Olympic handball gymnasium has been blocked for more than 10 days. The government humbly respects and listens to people raising legitimate complaints over infringements on their suffrage, but by using this situation as a pretext, some participants violate others' rights and this can never be justified."
He emphasized that blocking access to the facility has nothing to do with the original purpose of the protests and that such actions are a serious crime that cannot be tolerated. Kim asserted that the government will respond sternly to these acts to set an example.
In a public address, Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung also expressed regret over illegal activities by some protesters, specifically mentioning incidents such as searching through the belongings of members of the women's national youth handball team.
Yun highlighted that "Acts that undermine the rule of law, such as private inspections and occupation of facilities, cannot be justified by any reason." He expressed regret over the numerous illegal incidents occurring during some of the protests and pledged to ensure that protests remain lawful.
The protesters have been demanding a rerun of the elections. The National Election Commission has apologized for the ballot shortages, attributing it to an incorrect prediction of voter turnout. However, the agency stated that the shortages do not warrant a rerun nor did they alter the election results.
A joint investigation team consisting of the prosecution and police is currently looking into the case.