Sports Federations Regain Access to Seoul Stadium After Three Month Protest

Nine national sports federations under the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee entered their offices at the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul on Tuesday. The groups had been locked out of the facility for three months by protesters who claimed election fraud and demanded a rerun of the June 3 local elections following reports of ballot shortages. The gymnasium had served as a ballot counting site for those elections.

Under police escort, officials from groups including the Korea Handball Federation and the Korea Fencing Federation entered the stadium to retrieve computers, documents, and other belongings. The Olympic committee stated that regaining access was essential to prepare for the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, which begin in Japan on September 19. Before the sports officials entered, a special counsel team and National Election Commission officials accessed the site to preserve evidence such as ballot papers.

Approximately 1,830 police personnel were mobilized for the operation. While around 50 protesters gathered at the stadium and chanted slogans, police installed barricades to prevent clashes. Authorities noted that the number of protesters has declined significantly from the tens of thousands who gathered in the early days of the protest. No physical clashes were reported.