Minister Choi Huieong Reviews Damage from Handball Stadium Blockade... "Support Measures for Sport Federations to Be Prepared"

Choi Huieong, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held discussions on June 11 at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, with representatives from the Korean Sports Council and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation regarding countermeasures for assemblies related to the infringement of suffrage at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium.

The Handball Stadium was used as a ballot counting center for the 9th Nationwide Local Elections on June 3. Since the election, assemblies protesting suffrage infringements have continued, making it difficult to access the building. As a result, the member sport federations residing in the building have faced various issues, including restrictions on removing items necessary for international competition operations, training, and qualification exams; delays in accounting work such as payroll and national team allowances; and challenges in preparing performance reports and other administrative work.

Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (third from the right), held a meeting on the 11th at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, with officials from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation to discuss measures regarding the continued blockade of the Olympic Park Handball Arena due to situations such as the infringement on citizens' voting rights. He met with resident member sports organizations of the Olympic Park Handball Arena. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Representatives of the member sport federations located at the Handball Stadium stated, "It has already been a week since we have been unable to enter our offices due to the stadium blockade," and added, "The damage continues to grow as we are unable to take out essential items for our work, such as laptops and external hard drives." They also said, "Because we had to evacuate quickly, we were unable to process payroll, and preparations for various competitions are also being disrupted," requesting that countermeasures be put in place.

In response, Minister Choi announced plans to promptly consult with financial and tax authorities to extend deadlines for accounting processes and tax payments, and to actively pursue measures to minimize damage by providing temporary office space and equipment. He also stated, "Since temporary measures have limitations, we will work with relevant ministries to find fundamental solutions so that staff can access their offices and carry out urgent work."

Minister Choi emphasized, "Member sport federations are key entities supporting athlete development and participation in domestic and international competitions to improve sports performance. We will continue to coordinate with relevant organizations, including the Korean Sports Council and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and actively support efforts to minimize the damage to the member federations residing in the Handball Stadium."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.