Seoul: The national Olympic committee announced on Friday its intention to pursue legal action against protesters and the top election body due to damages incurred during the ongoing ballot-shortage controversy.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) is set to make another attempt to send nine of its member associations back to their offices inside the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul next week. The stadium, which was used as a ballot counting site for the June 3 local elections, became the center of controversy when ballot shortages led to a temporary suspension of voting at several polling stations. Protesters arrived on June 5, blocking access to the gym and alleging election fraud, while demanding a rerun of the elections.

The nine national sports federations affected, including those for handball and fencing, have been unable to access their offices due to the protest blockade. This situation has forced athletes to compete internationally using borrowed equipment and uniforms, and the federations' staff to establish temporary offices to manage administrative tasks, such as organizing international competitions in South Korea.

With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games approaching in less than two months, the KSOC has expressed urgency in resolving the situation. "By securing temporary office space and working with relevant authorities, we have been doing what we can under the circumstances, but we feel that these temporary measures have their limits," the KSOC stated. "We believe that our member associations must return to their offices and resume their regular operations in order for everything to normalize."

To ensure safety and prevent unnecessary clashes at the stadium when attempting to regain access next week, the KSOC is collaborating with authorities. "We have asked the government and relevant agencies to swiftly take practical and responsible solutions so that our sportspeople can return to their workplaces as soon as possible," the committee added.

A legal review is currently underway to determine the specific steps for legal action. KSOC President Ryu Seung-min emphasized the impact on those in the sports community, stating, "People working in sports are the biggest victims here. The KSOC will no longer overlook damage being done to our sportspeople. We will seek to file a suit for compensation against the National Election Commission over damage caused during its management of the ballot-counting station. We will also take all possible civil and criminal action against the continued restriction of access to the workplace for our member associations. We will protect rights and interests of our sportspeople until the end."