Single Protester Blocks Access: Sports Organizations Fail to Enter Olympic Park Again

[Anchor]

Sports organizations attempted to enter the vote-counting center at Seoul Olympic Park, where a blockade protest has been ongoing, but their efforts were thwarted once again today. Although an agreement appeared to have been reached through the mediation of People Power Party lawmakers, a single protester blocked the entrance until the end. As a result, the national fencing team had to depart for their competition after borrowing equipment from other athletes.

Reported by Dong Eunyeong.

[Reporter]

As police officers in fluorescent vests approached the entrance with cameras to collect evidence, protesters immediately blocked their path.

[Protester: Re-election for the fraudulent election.]

Sports organizations based at the venue attempted to enter the Seoul Olympic Park vote-counting center this morning (June 16) with the assistance of the police.

A standoff ensued for about three hours as protesters resisted.

[Police: If you obstruct this, you may be charged with obstruction of business under the Criminal Act.]

Even requests to enter alongside the protesters were to no avail.

[Official from a sports organization: Please let us take our belongings out. Please. We are just trying to enter our own office; why are you blocking us?]

Disagreements among the protesters themselves even led to internal clashes.

[Protester: Why are you deciding this here? You should ask the citizens who guarded (the polling station). You two do not have the authority.]

In the afternoon, there was talk that entry into the venue might be possible following mediation by People Power Party lawmakers who visited the site.

[Jang Dong-hyeok/Representative of the People Power Party: Two people from each organization will enter sequentially to retrieve their belongings. Two cameras will accompany them. Our lawmakers will also enter together.]

However, one female protester stood in front of the door, insisting that not a single person would be allowed in.

[Protester: No! It is not allowed!]

People Power Party lawmakers, who took turns trying to persuade her, eventually gave up and withdrew.

[Protester: (Are you okay?) .... (What were you thinking when you blocked the entrance?) ....]

Once the sports organizations retreated, the protesters tied the door handles with string and wrapped them multiple times with duct tape.

Due to the blockade of the venue, which has now entered its 12th day, the national fencing team, which departed today for the Asian Championships, had to leave for the event after borrowing equipment from other athletes.

(Video coverage: Yang Ji-hoon, Kim Young-hwan | Video editing: Choi Hye-ran | Footage courtesy of Leftist Bomber TV)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.