"Delivery Box Cited as 'Evidence of Fraud' Turns Out to Contain Tournament Booklets and T-Shirts"

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[Financial News] As protests continued in front of the counting center at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District, Seoul, over the ballot shortage in the June 3 local elections, demonstrators briefly caused a commotion after claiming that a delivery box being taken into the center was evidence of election fraud. It was later confirmed that the box contained a booklet with guidelines for a sports event and tournament T-shirts.
According to Financial News' on-site reporting on the 5th, around 1:30 p.m. a courier in blue clothing entered SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District with more than 10 boxes loaded on a handcart. At the time, protesters were continuing their demonstration in front of the venue against the counting of ballot boxes from Jamsil 7-dong Polling Place No. 2.
As the courier moved toward the counting center, about 50 protesters quickly surrounded him. They demanded that the boxes be opened, saying they could contain items related to election fraud. Some protesters also shouted at the scene, insisting that the boxes were "evidence of fraud."
The boxes had shipping labels dated the 1st and stickers related to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC). Through gaps in some damaged boxes, protesters could see a booklet matching the shipping label description, but they said they could not trust that and demanded that all the boxes be opened.
Around 3 p.m., officials from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), which has offices at the gymnasium, and the Korea Underwater Finswimming Association observed as the protesters opened the boxes. The inspection found tournament guidelines booklets, event T-shirts, and ordinary tools inside. The protesters tore open the T-shirt packaging one by one and checked even the bottom of the boxes, but found no election-related materials such as ballots.
The scene was chaotic for a time as the courier, association officials, and protesters became entangled in the crowd. Police deployed officers around the counting center to prevent further clashes.
Earlier that morning, two ballot boxes stored at Jamsil 7-dong Polling Place No. 2 were transported by police and the election commission to the counting center at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Songpa District. The boxes were reported to contain ballots for about 2,000 voters. Citing the ballot shortage, protesters continued their demonstration in front of the counting center until 3 p.m. that day, chanting slogans such as "Stop the illegal counting."
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425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter