SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The political tide appeared to shift Wednesday at Gate 2-1 of Seoul Olympic Park's Handball Gymnasium, where a protest initially fueled by younger voters' concerns over ballot shortages increasingly showed signs of becoming dominated by older, far-right activists.
Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea visited the site of an ongoing rally over the June 3 local election ballot shortage, urging demonstrators not to disrupt public access and sports activities at the venue.
Lawmakers Chun Jun-ho, Jeon Yong-gi and Lim O-kyeong visited the Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul, where protesters have maintained a blockade around a vote-counting center established for the local elections.
While acknowledging citizens' right to raise concerns over possible infringements on voting rights, the lawmakers called on participants to avoid obstructing pedestrian traffic and interfering with the operations of sports organizations housed inside the building.
The lawmakers were met with hostility from demonstrators, who chanted slogans such as "Election fraud," "Hold a new election" and "Manual vote counting on election day." Some protesters shouted insults and attempted to block their movements.
The lawmakers left after about 10 minutes as the atmosphere grew increasingly confrontational.
The scene contrasted sharply with the early days of the protest, when much of the crowd consisted of people in their 20s and 30s who described themselves as politically unaffiliated and focused primarily on protecting voting rights after ballot shortages were reported during the June 3 local elections.
On Wednesday, older demonstrators and overtly partisan messages appeared more prominent. Protesters waved South Korean and U.S. flags while continuing to call for a rerun of the election and the adoption of manual ballot counting.
The number of American flags has increased alongside the growing presence of far-right activists calling for U.S. involvement in the probe into the ballot shortage incident.
The protest began after ballot shortages disrupted parts of the June 3 local elections and has continued for more than a week outside the Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park.
On Tuesday, opposition People Power Party lawmaker Jang Dong-hyeok received a warmer reception and briefly brokered an arrangement that allowed tenants of the gymnasium — home to multiple sports associations — to retrieve belongings needed for overseas competitions.
The entrance was nearly reopened before a woman in her 20s blocked access by clinging to a gate secured with tape, halting the effort.
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