Seoul: Members of a special parliamentary committee investigating the ballot shortages that impacted the June 3 local elections conducted their first on-site inspection at a vote counting venue, which has been barricaded by protesters since June 5. The inspection took place at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul, where protesters have been demanding a rerun of the elections.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the inspection occurred 27 days after the protests began. Police intervened to clear protesters from the entrance of the stadium, which had been used as a ballot counting site on election day, to allow committee access. During this operation, a man in his 60s was arrested for allegedly obstructing official duties after he pushed police officers while attempting to prevent them from clearing the stadium entrance.

The inspection, led by Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the main opposition People Power Party, involved lawmakers examining a basement storage area where approximately 380 ballot boxes, around 2.47 million ballots, and voting logs were stored. The committee confirmed the presence of the ballot boxes and election materials but expressed concerns about the lack of surveillance cameras and other security measures. Importantly, the committee did not open any of the ballot boxes during their inspection.

The scene outside the stadium was tense, with scuffles breaking out among protesters, some of whom tore American flags carried by other participants. Protesters opposing the inspection insisted on allowing entry only to special counsel investigators or those with a warrant. To prevent further clashes, police deployed approximately 2,000 personnel to the site and separated the protesters. One protester was hospitalized after sustaining a foot injury during the confrontation.

In addition to the on-site inspection, committee members visited the Songpa District Election Commission earlier in the day. There, they were briefed by election officials on the management of ballot papers during election day, furthering the committee's efforts to investigate the election irregularities.