Statement from the Korean Sports Council: "Jamsil blockade disrupts operations of organizations; minimum administrative supplies must be allowed to exit"

*This content was translated by AI.

As the protest blocking the Jamsil ballot counting center over the shortage of voting ballots for the the 3rd local elections continues into its sixth day, some sports organizations are also facing operational disruptions. In response, the Korean Sports Council has issued a statement.

On the 10th, the Council stated, "We are closely monitoring the situation in which access to offices of member sports organizations housed within the handball arena at Olympic Park has been restricted due to recent rallies and protests in the area, causing difficulties in carrying out certain tasks."

The Council further added, "Currently, numerous member sports organizations of the Korean Sports Council are housed in this facility, conducting preparations for hosting and participating in international competitions, managing domestic tournaments, handling instructor qualification procedures, and performing various administrative duties. However, due to the continued restrictions on access, it has become increasingly difficult to utilize necessary documents, financial transfer OTPs (one-time password generators), sports equipment, and office supplies. Some organizations are already experiencing delays in international operations and tournament preparations."

The handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, has had all entrances completely controlled since the 5th due to a rally blocking the ballot counting center for the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections. Twelve sports organizations with offices in this location are unable to access their offices. Inside the arena, office spaces for sports organizations and essential accounting and administrative supplies (corporate cards, OTPs, official seals, common authentication certificates, etc.), as well as items for tournament and qualification examination operations, are stored, but access to them is entirely impossible.

The Council stated, "While we respect the freedom of assembly and protest as a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and hold no political stance on related matters, we believe it is necessary to create conditions that allow the minimum administrative supplies to be removed, so that normal operations of sports organizations, national team training support in preparation for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and the implementation of practical oral qualification examinations for over 70 types of sports instructors can proceed without disruption."

The Council further noted, "We are closely cooperating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, the police, and other relevant institutional investors to explore ways to ensure the continuity of operations for member sports organizations and plan to continuously monitor the situation. Moving forward, the Korean Sports Council will actively work with relevant institutional investors to ensure that respect for citizens' fundamental rights and the stable operation of sports administration are harmoniously achieved."

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*This content was translated by AI.