[Report] "We Came from Busan and Yeongjong Island"...Citizens Give Up Their Weekends and Gather in Jamsil, Calling for a 'Rerun Election'

[Financial News]"I wanted to rest at home. Still, I thought this was not something that could just be brushed aside."At 8:50 a.m. on the 14th, the area in front of the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa District was relatively quiet. But as time passed, the mood changed quickly. According to Seoul's real-time city data, about 8,000 people had gathered in the area by 10 a.m. that day.
Weekend participants from all over the country stood out in particular. Parents pushing strollers and participants holding children in their arms repeatedly shouted slogans such as "rerun the election over alleged fraud" and "manual counting of same-day ballots."
Song, 47, who came up from Busan with his second-year high school daughter, said, "If we are going to spend money on an election anyway, why not count the ballots by hand right there at the polling place?" He added, "Rallies are also being held in Busan, but since this is where the issue first surfaced, I came here in person."
At one corner of the rally site, Kim, 27, who came from Gimpo, Gyeonggi, with middle school friends, was handing out bottled water and snacks he had bought with his own money. Kim said, "I have been coming to the rally since the 5th," and added, "I am preparing for a job, but I also came out last Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I gave up this weekend too." He continued, "The fact that people could not vote because there were not enough ballots is something the entire country should take issue with, regardless of political leanings," and added that he would keep coming until the demand for a rerun election is met.
Choi Min-young, 14, who came up from Dongtan, Gyeonggi, stood out even among the younger participants. The sign he was holding read, "Even if I die, I will protect democracy and die!!!" Choi said, "I did not come because someone told me to. I watched the news and felt the problem myself, so I decided to come." He added firmly, "The place is far from home, but I plan to keep coming every weekend."


Office workers also continued to arrive throughout the day. Jang, 32, an emergency responder from Sanbon, Gunpo, said this was his fourth visit. He said, "I also come after work on weekdays when I have time. It is physically tiring, but when I see the younger people, I feel sorry and end up coming out." He stressed, "I do not want anything else. I just want people to be able to vote fairly."
Lee Junsu, in his 40s, said it was his first time at the site and came with a stroller. Lee said, "If election fairness has been undermined, I do not think we should just let it pass." He added, "I am busy with work on weekdays and have a child, so I could not come last week, but I made time this weekend."
Some participants said they had been staying at the site for several days. Kim Jinho, 27, an airport worker living on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon, said, "I have been coming continuously except for two days after Memorial Day." He added that his vacation days happened to overlap, allowing him to stay longer. "At first, the atmosphere was relatively peaceful, but as time went on, some conflict began to appear," he said. "We need to return to the original purpose. If the National Election Commission and the government are confident, they should prove it objectively."
Families, friends and couples continued to join the rally. Some citizens who came with pet dogs were seen walking around the site as if on a stroll. There were no major clashes or disruptions, and participants maintained order while chanting slogans and staying in place in their own way.
yesji@fnnews.com Kim Ye-ji Reporter