Handball Arena Blocked for Three Months, Sports Council Enters Offices to Remove Equipment

After more than three months of restricted access, sports organizations inside Seoul’s Olympic Park Handball Arena are preparing to enter their offices and retrieve essential equipment.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said it would enter the offices of nine member sports organizations in the arena in Songpa-gu on the morning of the 8th. The organizations have been unable to use their offices normally since protesters occupied the venue.

The arena served as a vote-counting site during the ninth nationwide local elections in June. Access became restricted after a shortage of ballots occurred and protesters claiming election fraud occupied the facility.

The disruption has affected not only administrative work but also the operation of competitions and support for national team athletes. To reduce the prolonged work stoppage, the committee plans to remove priority items stored in the offices, including work computers, information-technology equipment, files, administrative documents and accounting and contract records.