During Europe Tour, President Lee Says "Jamsil Counting Center Protesters Must Not Infringe on Others' Rights"

Strict Investigation Ordered for Acts Such as Restricting Civilian Access

On June 15, President Lee Jaemyung ordered a thorough police investigation in connection with the blockade protest at the Jamsil vote-counting center, stating, "Protesters must refrain from actions that go beyond expressing their opinions and infringe upon the rights of others." He made it clear that while he accepts raising issues regarding the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections, he cannot tolerate restrictions on civilian access, unauthorized private inspections, or obstruction of work through the use of force.

The blockade protest at the Jamsil counting center triggered by the shortage of ballots in the June 3 local elections has grown in size again on the evening of the 12th ahead of the weekend, bustling with crowds. June 12, 2026, Yonhap News Agency.

On the same day, President Lee shared an article on X (formerly Twitter) reporting that the blockade protest at Jamsil was disrupting national sports organizations' preparations for international competitions. He stated, "I have instructed the police to conduct a strict investigation not only of those who obstructed work with force, such as restricting civilian access, but also of any accomplices."

Previously, protesters condemning the ballot shortage crisis gathered at the Handball Gymnasium in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. As a result, the work of sports organizations based at the gymnasium has been disrupted. Some member associations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee reported delays in various work, such as remittance of entry fees for international competitions, equipment preparation, and conducting state-certified qualification exams, as their access to offices was blocked. They appealed, saying, "Please give us back our workplace."

The Korea Fencing Federation is reportedly facing difficulties preparing for the Asian Championships scheduled to be held in Delhi, India, on June 19. The Korea Underwater & Finswimming Federation is also experiencing delays in preparing for the World Finswimming Championships opening in Incheon on June 22. Some organizations have also stated that they are unable to process tax payments and salary payments to athletes and coaches as usual.

President Lee addressed the issue during a virtual senior aides' meeting the previous day. While traveling in Rome, Italy, he presided over the meeting virtually and received a report from the Senior Office for Civil Affairs on the investigation status of the joint police-prosecution task force regarding violations of citizens' suffrage. During the meeting, President Lee said, "We fully acknowledge and accept the public's legitimate concerns about violations of suffrage." However, he also pointed out, "There are groups exploiting this situation to incite baseless conspiracy theories."

President Lee particularly criticized, "Spreading allegations of election fraud and talking about election result manipulation distorts the essence of the issue and is an antisocial act that insults the valuable voices of the people." He called on the joint police-prosecution task force to hold all those responsible accountable without sanctuary and emphasized the need to respond strictly to unauthorized private inspections and obstruction of work by force at the protest sites.

The police are also escalating their response. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it is investigating a total of 15 cases, including searches of personal belongings, assaults on journalists, insults to on-site police officers, and assaults among participants, that occurred during the Jamsil protest. In particular, the incident where the belongings of female youth national handball team players were searched is being investigated as a case of group intimidation and is subject to charges of special coercion.

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