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A "Jamsil vote-counting center blockade protest," denouncing the ballot shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections and demanding a re-election, continued into its second day on the 6th. Election commission officials who had finished counting remain trapped inside.
As of 1:20 p.m. on the 6th, an unofficial police estimate put 3,000 people gathered around the handball stadium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, which served as the counting center. The crowd, which had reached 6,000 to 7,000 around midnight before shrinking to about 500 at 7 a.m., has been growing again as the day progresses.
Holding Korean national flags, the protesters chanted slogans calling for a "re-election" or sang the national anthem while sitting in place at the entrances on the stadium's first and second floors to prevent the ballot boxes from being removed. Police have deployed about 400 riot officers at the scene, including dozens stationed at one of the stadium's main entrances.
Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of Freedom and Innovation, also attended the protest as a demonstrator that day. Hwang posted on his Facebook that "Freedom and Innovation is not holding a separate rally today," adding, "Let all party members join the citizens in front of the Jamsil Olympic Handball Stadium."
Although Kim Min-su, a supreme council member of the People Power Party, and others attended the protest the previous day and called on demonstrators to "come to the presidential office," saying they had filed for a rally near the office at 4 p.m. on the 6th, the protesters did not appear to respond. Signs reading "The presidential office protest is incitement" were posted in various spots near the counting center.
Inside the counting center, an estimated 30 or so election commission staff who finished counting around 3 p.m. the previous day are believed to remain. The ballot boxes the protesters are taking issue with are also still stored within the center.
Citizens are currently voluntarily distributing hamburgers, gimbap, coffee, and bottled water. A coffee truck sent by a citizen is also in operation.
That day, with HYBE's 2026 Weverse Con Festival scheduled at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena (KSPO Dome) about 100 meters from the counting center, crowds heading there also raised safety concerns.
