“Police rotation. Don’t worry”… 33 hours of standoff to protect ballot boxes

A standoff has gripped Seoul's Songpa District, where protesters have maintained a vigil around the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong for over 33 hours. The demonstration began Sunday evening after the main voting concluded and intensified due to an earlier "ballot paper shortage" that extended voting hours. Protesters are demanding the protection of ballot boxes, fearing they might be tampered with or removed improperly.

As dawn broke on Tuesday, the atmosphere grew tense when movement was detected inside the polling station. Participants quickly moved to block entrances, using chairs and forming human chains to prevent access. Their primary concern was the potential removal of ballot boxes through second-floor windows, prompting vigilant monitoring of the area. The arrival of police buses, initially causing alarm, was later identified as a routine police rotation, but the protesters remained on high alert.

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Why are you bothering the residents? We are innocent victims. The quiet neighborhood has become noisy.

Despite challenging conditions, including overnight rain and cold, demonstrators persisted, with supporters providing food, drinks, and supplies. A sign reading "Silence" was posted, urging a quiet protest to minimize disturbance to residents. While an estimated 1,400 people gathered at the peak, hundreds remained by Tuesday morning, continuing the blockade.

Local residents' opinions are divided. Some voiced frustration over the noise and disruption, with one resident lamenting, "Why are you bothering the residents? We are innocent victims." Others, however, showed empathy for the protesters' cause. A 60-year-old woman heading to church expressed sympathy for the young people braving the night, stating, "While residents might be slightly inconvenienced, they have come out to express their thoughts, so we need to tolerate it to some extent."

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What's wrong with a little inconvenience? While residents might be slightly inconvenienced, they have come out to express their thoughts, so we need to tolerate it to some extent.