'Oldark' Summoned by Police for Blocking Counting Center Entry: "The Price of Defending Liberal Democracy"

Police Summon Her as Suspect for Obstruction of Work
"I Believed the Decision to Preserve Evidence Should Come First"

A woman in her 30s, known among the protesters at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium as the so-called "Oldark," was summoned for police questioning on the 10th.

A woman in her 30s suspected of obstructing business by blocking sports organization staff from entering the indoor office at the entrance of the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, used as a counting center for the June 3 local elections, is appearing on the 10th at Songpa Police Station in Seoul for investigation. Photo by Yonhap News

The Songpa Police Station in Seoul summoned her at 4 p.m. that day as a suspect on charges including obstruction of work. This comes about three weeks after the investigation began on June 17.

Before entering the police station, she told reporters, "I believed that a decision to preserve evidence by the court or the National Election Commission should come first," and added, "If verification proceeds without following proper principles and procedures, whatever conclusion follows will lack credibility."

She further stated, "If there is a price to pay for protecting liberal democracy, I have resolved to willingly pay that price. That was my mindset on the day I guarded the gate."

On June 16, when Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, and protest participants reached an agreement with sports organizations to allow entry into the Handball Gymnasium, used as the June 3 local election counting center, she held the door alone for about two hours to block access.

Although Jang and Yoo Seungmin, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, tried to persuade her, she insisted that preservation procedures for ballots and ballot boxes inside the venue should be carried out first. As a result, some hardline conservative communities began referring to her as "Oldark," a nickname meaning "Joan of Arc of Olympic Park."

She also appeared at the Handball Gymnasium on July 2, blocking the 2-1 gate when the National Assembly's special committee investigating the ballot shortage incident of the June 3 local elections attempted to enter.

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