Jamsil ballot-counting station blockade enters 50th day... KSOC reviews state compensation claim against NEC

[Financial News] As the prolonged blockade of the handball gymnasium at Seoul Olympic Park has deepened the administrative vacuum in sports for more than 50 days, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) plans to push for the return of member sports federations to their office space next week. It is also reviewing legal action, including a state compensation claim against the National Election Commission (NEC), over the damage caused during the installation and management of the ballot-counting station.
On the 24th, KSOC said, "We plan to again push for the return of office space next week to resolve the administrative vacuum affecting member sports federations housed in the handball gymnasium," adding, "As the damage has piled up, we are also reviewing legal action, including a state compensation claim."
According to KSOC, executives and staff from nine member sports federations that moved into the handball gymnasium have been unable to return to their offices for more than 50 days since the 5th of last month. They are still unable to remove major office equipment and work materials, and are handling only some accounting tasks with the cooperation of related agencies while maintaining minimal operations in temporary office space.
KSOC said the prolonged restrictions on access are also making it harder to run sports administration as a whole and to prepare for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
It added, "Delays in issuing various administrative services, including certificates of competition results used for college admissions and job applications, are causing inconvenience not only to athletes, students and coaches, but also to the general public."
KSOC said it has responded so far by securing temporary office space, consulting with related agencies and providing emergency administrative support, but concluded that there are limits to carrying out normal sports administration under the current conditions. It said the fundamental solution is for the member sports federations to return to their existing offices and resume work.
Before any re-entry, KSOC said it is discussing safety measures and order maintenance with related agencies and is holding prior consultations to prevent unnecessary clashes at the site. It added that the exact timing of the return will be announced separately once the plan is finalized and can be made public.
Legal action is also moving forward. KSOC is currently reviewing the legal issues and, based on the advisory results, is expected to determine its response after tallying the damage suffered by each member sports federation.
KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said, "Athletes are not the parties responsible for this incident, but the biggest victims," adding, "We will no longer overlook the sacrifices and damage suffered by athletes."
He continued, "For the damage caused during the installation and management of the ballot-counting station, we will pursue a state compensation claim against the NEC and others. We will also take every possible civil and criminal legal measure, including criminal complaints and damages claims, over the continued obstruction of access to office space, and we will protect the rights and interests of athletes to the very end."
Earlier, on the 16th of last month, sports organizations under KSOC tried to enter the stadium to prepare for international competitions and handle accounting work, but the attempt failed because protesters blocked them. At the time, mediation by the People Power Party led to an agreement that staff from the sports organizations would be allowed to remove the minimum items needed for work, but a woman in her 30s identified only as A, known as the so-called "Old Dark," blocked the entrance for about two hours, preventing the plan from being carried out.
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter