A special parliamentary committee entered the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Seoul on July 2 to conduct an on-site inspection. The site, blockaded by protesters since June 5 over ballot shortages in the June 3 local elections, was accessed after police cleared the entrance.
The committee, led by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party, inspected a basement storage area holding around 380 ballot boxes, some 2.47 million ballots and voting logs. It confirmed the materials remained intact but noted concerns over insufficient surveillance cameras and security measures. No ballot boxes were opened.
Before the inspection, committee members visited the Songpa District Election Commission for a briefing on ballot paper management on election day. The on-site probe itself lasted around 40 minutes.
Some protesters opposed the inspection, insisting only special counsel investigators or those with a warrant be allowed entry. Scuffles broke out among demonstrators, and police deployed about 2,000 personnel to separate groups and prevent further clashes. A man in his 60s was arrested for allegedly obstructing officers.
