(LEAD) Sports federations enter handball stadium 3 months into ballot shortage protest

On Tuesday, a coalition of national sports federations made their first return to their offices in three months, entering the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul under the guidance of police officers. The sports bodies, which include the Korea Handball Federation and the Korea Fencing Federation, had been barred from accessing their offices due to ongoing protests over ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections.

The concerns were primarily centered around allegations of election fraud and the potential tampering of evidence.

Protests first emerged at the sports arena on June 5, following the incidents of ballot shortages. Around 50 protesters gathered at the stadium, demanding a rerun of the elections and alleging election fraud. Police established barricades to block the protesters' access, ensuring a peaceful dispersal of the group. Since then, the number of protesters has significantly dwindled, with thousands of participants in the initial days of the protests.

In order to preserve vital evidence, such as ballot papers, a special counsel team investigating the ballot shortages and officials from the National Election Commission entered the site before the sports groups. The Olympic committee sought cooperation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to facilitate the entry and removal of their belongings, emphasizing the importance of this action for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which commence in Japan on September 19.

Despite previous unsuccessful attempts by the sports officials to enter the stadium due to the protesters' refusal to cooperate, Tuesday's operation saw about 1,830 police personnel deployed. The police vowed to take stern measures against any illegal activities, including attempts to block sports officials from entering their offices.