The blockade at the Jamsil counting center in Olympic Park, sparked by a shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections, has entered its 19th day, leading to the arrest of a woman who spat at a police officer. A man also clashed with Olympic Park officials during a one-person protest.
The blockade has increasingly affected sports organizations based in the handball stadium at Olympic Park, resulting in the cancellation of scheduled performances. While police have stated they will respond firmly to illegal activities, they are exercising caution regarding forced dispersal due to concerns about clashes with protesters.
On the morning of the 23rd, the handball stadium was less crowded compared to the weekend, with a peak of 9,000 visitors reported at Olympic Park by 1 p.m., according to real-time city data from Seoul. Among them, 27.7% were aged 60 and older.
Protesters continued to chant, "fraudulent election, re-election," with portraits of former Presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee displayed throughout the area.
Some inappropriate behavior by citizens was also reported. A woman was arrested for obstructing police duties after she spat at an officer and allegedly insulted the officer's family. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her actions.
An elderly man held a large placard in the square, demanding the immediate arrest and detention of Lee Jae-myung, referring to him as the "leader of the insurrection." Although Olympic Park officials advised him to protest near the handball stadium, he argued, "Isn't one-person protest supposed to be freely guaranteed? Why are you restricting freedom? Is this a communist country?"
As the blockade continues, the impact on the sports and entertainment sectors is growing. Since June 5, nine member organizations based in the handball stadium have reported operational paralysis due to the blockade, with estimated losses reaching approximately 4 billion won.
A concert by singer Park Seo-jin, scheduled for July 4-5 at the Olympic Park handball stadium, has also been canceled. The '2026 Seoul Park Music Festival,' which was set to take place over the weekend, faced operational difficulties as it had to be split between Lake 88 and Woori Financial Art Hall.
Regarding the Jamsil counting center blockade, police plan to approach forced dispersal cautiously. Acting Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung stated on the 22nd, "The current situation resembles an unreported assembly without a designated organizer under the Assembly and Demonstration Act, and the decision to disperse must consider public safety, accident risks, and the overall situation." He noted that the current circumstances differ from the situation on June 5 when police deployed a mobile unit for forced dispersal to transport ballot boxes, as citizens are now gathering to assert their voting rights.
However, police are determined to respond firmly to illegal acts that infringe on the rights of others. Acting Commissioner Yoo mentioned that they are investigating 36 cases, including the search of personal belongings of the women's youth national handball team and assaults on journalists, stating, "We will meticulously document and investigate serious illegal acts and hold offenders accountable according to the law and principles."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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