"Rescue PCs under the escort of 150 police officers"... Sports organizations enter handball arena after 96 days

*This content was translated by AI.

After being sealed for over three months following its use as a ballot counting center for the the 3rd local elections, sports organizations moved into the Seoul Songpa-gu Olympic Park Handball Arena today and began removing essential items.

According to 'NEWSIS' on the 8th, officials from nine member federations under the Korean Olympic Committee entered the office inside the arena at around 9:12 a.m., with the cooperation of the Seoul National Police Agency. This marks 96 days since the ballot counting center lockdown protests began on June 5, triggered by a shortage of polling stations.

Under the on-site command of Deputy Commissioner for Public Safety of the Seoul National Police Agency, police deployed a total of 150 personnel, including 28 mobile units, 50 traffic officers, and 100 detectives. Prior to the entry of sports organizations, the Special Investigation Team investigating allegations related to the local elections completed safety preservation measures for ballot boxes stored inside the venue.

During this process, friction occurred between protesters objecting to the opening of entrance doors and police officers. Police plan to manage safety through on-site evidence collection until the removal operation is completed.

Currently, offices of nine sports federations are housed in the arena. The Korean Olympic Committee requested police assistance to remove essential work equipment such as PCs and documents due to serious disruptions in administration, tournament operations, and national team support caused by prolonged control.

Previously, the sports organizations attempted to enter multiple times on June 9 and 16 but were blocked by protesters, resulting in failed attempts. The item removal operation scheduled for today is expected to take about one hour.

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*This content was translated by AI.