Authorities have identified a suspect involved in the assault of a reporter at a ballot counting site during the June 3 local elections, prompting a formal investigation by police.
On June 16, the Songpa Police Station in Seoul announced that they had identified one of the suspects involved in the assault on a reporter near the Olympic Park counting site on June 5 and had issued a summons for the individual to appear for questioning.
A police spokesperson stated, "We take the seriousness of this incident, which infringes on press freedom, very seriously and plan to conduct a swift and thorough investigation."
The incident gained public attention after the Korea Journalists Association's JTBC branch released a statement detailing the assault on their reporter. According to the association, some protesters blocking the Olympic Park handball stadium, which served as a counting site, assaulted the reporter as they attempted to leave the area.
The reporter reportedly faced violence while trying to escape through a window after the entrance was blocked by protesters. Video footage of the incident, showing a protester demanding proof that the reporter was not an election commission staff member, physically assaulting the journalist, and throwing their phone to the ground, has circulated online.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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