'Oldark' Appears Before Police Over Election Protest at Olympic Park

A 30-year-old woman, known as 'Oldark' for her protest at the Olympic Park handball stadium, has appeared before police for questioning regarding charges of obstructing business. The woman, identified by the initial 'K', blocked access for staff from sports organizations affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

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There was a serious problem with the procedure, and I didn't think the election should end as it was.

Appearing before investigators at the Songpa Police Station, 'K' wore a t-shirt with 'Republic of Korea' emblazoned on it and a cross necklace. She explained her actions stemmed from a belief that the election process had critical flaws and should not have concluded as it did. She specifically referenced an incident on the morning of July 5, where she alleged ballot boxes were removed from a polling station using physical force by election officials and police.

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The National Election Commission and the police mobilized physical force to remove citizens and take away ballot boxes. I remember the shields and police officers tightly surrounding the back gate of the polling station.

'K' stated her motivation was not to benefit any specific political party or politician, but rather as a citizen hoping to ensure her vote, and others', were protected. She argued that if elections continue without proper verification amidst ongoing suspicions of fraud, any subsequent results would lack credibility. She expressed her willingness to pay any price to defend the liberal democracy built on the sacrifices of many, a sentiment she held while guarding the stadium.

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However, the fact that the ballot boxes were taken away hurt my heart more than the bruises left on my body. Since that day, citizens like myself, whose right to vote was taken away, guarded the Olympic Park handball stadium where the ballot boxes were.

Her legal team, including lawyers Hwang Kyo-ahn and Park Joo-hyun, likened her protest to the spirit of the April 19 Revolution, a student-led uprising in 1960. They called for an immediate end to what they termed the "reverse oppression" of law enforcement against 'Oldark,' whom they portrayed as a woman embodying the principles of resistance against injustice. 'K' is accused of preventing Olympic Committee staff from entering the handball stadium on July 16, reportedly remaining there until the end.

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I did not do this to benefit a specific political party or follow the will of a specific politician, but simply as a citizen hoping that our votes would be fully protected.