"Respecting the protest, but..." Why are innocent national team athletes suffering? Korean Olympic Committee releases statement: "Normal operations must be guaranteed"

*This content was translated by AI.

The damages from those protesting against the Election Commission's poor vote management are being directly passed on to the Korean Olympic Committee and the sports organizations whose offices are located in the Handball Arena. In response, these organizations have jointly called for a resolution to the situation.

The Korean Olympic Committee and its member sports organizations held a joint press conference with Korean athletes at the Seoul Olympic Parktel on the 15th to report on the damages caused by restrictions on access to sports administration spaces and urged a swift resolution to the situation.

The press conference that day was attended by Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Olympic Committee, along with the office directors of nine member sports organizations using office space within the Handball Arena, who shared the difficulties on the ground and appealed for the normalization of sports administration operations.

Furthermore, while stating their position of respecting the freedom of assembly and protest guaranteed by the Constitution, they explained that the long-term access restrictions are causing serious disruptions to core sports administration tasks, including support for national team athletes, preparation for international competitions, and the operation of sports organizations.

In particular, they announced that difficulties are arising in exporting equipment and materials, supporting national team training, and performing essential administrative tasks ahead of major international competitions, such as the Asian Fencing Championships and the preparation for the Incheon World Short Course Swimming Championships.

The Korean Olympic Committee and its 71 member sports organizations jointly released a press statement, emphasizing that "although athletes are not parties to this conflict, they are bearing the greatest damage," and that "access to sports administration spaces and the ability to perform normal operations must be immediately guaranteed to prevent further infringement on the rights and interests of national team athletes and the public functions of Korean sports."

They also requested that the government and police seriously recognize the damages suffered by sports organizations and prepare a swift solution, stating that "if obstruction of business and damages are confirmed, they plan to take responsible measures, including reviewing legal countermeasures."

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*This content was translated by AI.