Arrest Warrants Denied for Two Suspects in Reporter Assault Case at Seoul Vote Counting Center

A Seoul court has denied arrest warrants for two individuals accused of assaulting a reporter during a protest that disrupted a vote counting center. The Seoul Eastern District Court stated on July 28 that there were no grounds to detain the suspects, a woman in her 30s and a man in his 20s, citing no concerns about evidence tampering or flight risk. The pair face charges including assault causing injury and special confinement. They were part of a protest on June 5 that blocked the vote counting center at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, following the June 3 local elections. After the hearing, the male suspect briefly told reporters he felt sorry, but declined to answer further questions about his actions or motivations. The female suspect left the scene without responding to any inquiries. The protest reportedly stemmed from suspicions about election officials.