"6 Billion Won in Losses": Sports Organizations Appeal for Police Intervention Against Protests

[Anchor]

As the blockade protest at the ballot counting station in Seoul Olympic Park continues, sports organizations unable to carry out their duties have once again requested the intervention of public authorities. The police have stated they are reviewing charges of obstruction of business and have announced a firm stance against illegal activities.

Reporter Lim Ji-hyun has the story.

[Reporter]

Nine sports organizations housed in the Seoul Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, which has been under blockade for 11 days, held another press conference.

Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, stepped forward to voice the damages and once again requested the deployment of public authorities.

[Yoo Seung-min / President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee: Because they have not opened the doors for 20 days, we have suffered over 6 billion won in financial losses, and the administrative work for athletes and coaches has been paralyzed. The livelihood of sports personnel is being infringed upon.]

National fencing athletes who need to retrieve their equipment from inside the venue to head abroad, as well as the Korea Underwater Association, which must prepare for an international competition in Incheon next week, say they can no longer wait.

While the sports organizations emphasized that they respect the freedom of assembly and demonstration, they stressed that the rights of other citizens and public functions must not be infringed upon.

[Secretary General of the Korea Underwater Association: If there is a disruption in competition operations and a safety accident occurs during the event, our association could face a situation where we are permanently unable to host international competitions.]

Regarding these requests from the sports organizations, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo stated during a press conference that the police are reviewing charges of obstruction of business against the protesters.

This is interpreted as a signal that the police, who had previously sought to resolve the situation through dialogue to avoid physical clashes, may now actively deploy public authorities.

In particular, regarding the incident on the 8th where protesters surrounded the youth national handball team and conducted unauthorized searches of their belongings, the Commissioner warned, "Because they displayed the power of a crowd, we have applied charges of special coercion, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison," adding, "Participating in illegal acts without thinking can lead to one's own ruin."

The police are currently investigating 15 cases, including this incident, as well as assaults on reporters and the mocking of police officers.

(Video by Yang Ji-hoon, Video Editing by Lee Sang-min, Graphics by Han Heung-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.