Parliamentary committee conducts 1st on-site inspection at blockaded vote counting site
Members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections open the entrance to the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Songpa, Thursday. Yonhap
Members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections on Thursday entered a vote counting venue that has long been barricaded by angry protesters to prevent the removal of ballot boxes stored inside.
The on-site inspection came 27 days after protesters demanding a rerun of the elections began blockading the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul on June 5, two days after ballot shortages temporarily suspended voting at polling stations across the nation.
Police cleared protesters from the entrance to the stadium, which served as a ballot counting site on election day, to allow committee members access to the stadium.
Protestors block the entrance to the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Songpa, Thursday, as members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections attempt to enter. Yonhap
A man in his 60s was arrested on charges of obstructing official duties after allegedly pushing police officers while trying to prevent them from clearing the entrance.
Led by the committee chief, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the main opposition People Power Party, lawmakers inspected a basement storage area where around 380 ballot boxes, some 2.47 million ballots and voting logs were stored.
The committee said it confirmed that the ballot boxes and other election materials remained inside the storage rooms, but raised concerns over the lack of surveillance cameras and other security measures.
The committee did not open any of the ballot boxes during the inspection.
Scuffles were witnessed outside the stadium early Thursday, with some protesters shoving one another and tearing American flags carried by other participants.
Protestors shout slogans in front of the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's southern district of Songpa, Thursday, before the arrival of members of a special parliamentary committee investigating ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections. Yonhap
Some protesters blockaded the stadium in opposition to the inspection, saying they would allow entry only to special counsel investigators or those with a warrant.
Police separated the protesters to prevent further clashes and deployed some 2,000 personnel to the site.
One protester was taken to a hospital after sustaining a foot injury.
Earlier in the day, the committee members visited the Songpa District Election Commission, where they were briefed by election officials on how ballot papers were managed on election day.