▲ Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young holds a meeting with officials from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 11, to discuss countermeasures regarding the ongoing blockade of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium caused by protests.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to provide administrative support to sports organizations struggling due to the blockade of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium caused by protests and demonstrations.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young announced at a meeting with representatives of the member sports organizations residing in the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, held today (June 11) at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, that the ministry will promptly consult with financial and tax authorities to extend deadlines for accounting and tax payments. He also stated that the ministry would implement measures to minimize damage to the resident organizations, including providing temporary office space and equipment.
Minister Choi said, "Member sports organizations are the core entities in the field of sports responsible for athlete development and supporting participation in domestic and international competitions," adding, "We will actively provide support to minimize the damage to the sports organizations residing in the handball gymnasium by consulting with related agencies such as the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation."
He further added, "As temporary measures have their limits, we will consult with relevant ministries to find a fundamental solution so that staff can enter their offices to handle urgent tasks."
The handball gymnasium has been inaccessible due to protests regarding the infringement of voting rights following its use as a ballot counting station for the nationwide local elections.
The member sports organizations located in the building are facing restrictions on retrieving items necessary for international competitions, training, and qualification exams. They are also experiencing disruptions in paying staff salaries, providing allowances to national athletes, and handling various accounting tasks.
It has been reported that administrative tasks, such as the submission of performance reports, are also being delayed.
At the meeting, representatives of the sports organizations appealed, "We have been unable to enter our offices for a week due to the blockade of the gymnasium, and the damage is growing as we cannot even retrieve laptops and external hard drives necessary for our work," adding, "Disruptions are occurring in salary payments and preparations for competitions."
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, which also attended the meeting, have launched emergency responses.
The participating organizations agreed to support the retrieval of essential items such as financial transaction OTP devices and bankbooks, and to provide temporary office space and equipment to ensure there are no gaps in core operations, such as participation in international competitions.
To handle the situation, KSOC President Yoo Seung-min, who was attending the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Coordination Committee meeting in Japan, will return to Korea early tomorrow.
Immediately upon his return, President Yoo plans to personally oversee measures to normalize the operations of sports organizations and protect the athletes.
President Yoo stated, "While freedom of assembly and demonstration must be respected, essential administrative functions that support South Korean sports must be maintained stably," and earnestly requested, "Please guarantee the retrieval of data and equipment necessary for essential tasks so that there are no disruptions to athletes' training and preparations for international competitions."
(Photo: Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.