▲ Protesters chant slogans in front of the entrance to the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 18, as the "lockdown protest" continues following the ballot paper shortage incident during the June 3 local elections.
Police are investigating reports that an unidentified individual damaged the lock on a basement entrance and trespassed into the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, which has been under a lockdown protest for the past 15 days due to a "ballot paper shortage incident."
Since June 5, citizens have been blocking the entrances to the gymnasium, which served as the vote counting center for the Jamsil area during the June 3 local elections, to prevent the removal of ballot boxes and ballots.
On June 19, the Seoul Songpa Police Station received a complaint from the facility's management company, stating, "It appears that an outsider damaged the lock on the basement entrance of the Handball Gymnasium on the night of June 7, trespassed, and filmed the interior."
The police have launched an investigation to identify the suspect, noting that charges such as property damage and trespassing could be applied.
If the allegations are true, it would mean someone managed to bypass the protesters' blockade to enter and exit the counting center, which is expected to spark significant controversy regarding the identity and motives of the intruder.
As the lockdown protest continues, police face limitations in verifying the scene, which may delay a precise determination of the circumstances.
Recently, a video has been circulating on social media showing someone welding a door located under the stairs next to the 1-3 entrance of the Handball Gymnasium.
This has fueled conspiracy theories, such as claims that there is an attempt to "trap protesters inside the stadium to cause a fire or a stampede," as well as assertions that "there is an underground passage connecting the Handball Gymnasium to the adjacent Gymnastics Arena."
A netizen requested information disclosure regarding the welding from Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, the agency that manages the Olympic Park facilities.
The netizen shared the agency's response online, which stated, "It was confirmed that an outsider damaged the lock on that entrance and trespassed to film the interior on the night of June 7, which led to the welding work."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.