Man arrested for assaulting police during Seoul election protest

A 60-year-old man has been arrested for assaulting police officers while attempting to block lawmakers from entering an election counting center in Seoul. The incident occurred during a protest at the Olympic Park handball gymnasium, which has been occupied since June 5 by demonstrators aiming to "protect the ballot boxes" amid a shortage of voting papers during the June 3 local elections.

The Seoul Eastern District Court issued an arrest warrant for the man, identified only as 'A', on charges including obstruction of official duties. He is accused of assaulting police officers who were trying to secure an entry route for the parliamentary special committee on the election investigation. The committee members were attempting to conduct an on-site inspection of the counting center.

Approximately 1,500 police officers were deployed to manage the situation. Despite the blockade, committee members were able to enter the venue for the first time in 27 days, inspecting around 380 ballot boxes and 2.47 million ballots. However, they were unable to remove the materials from the site.

This arrest marks the second detention related to illegal actions during the protest. Previously, a 40-year-old woman, identified as 'B', was arrested on June 29 for spitting at and assaulting police officers. The ongoing blockade and related confrontations highlight the intense political tensions surrounding the election irregularities.