Culture Ministry to Support Sports Organizations Affected by Olympic Park Blockade

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to support the administrative work of sports organizations facing difficulties due to the blockade of the Seoul Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium caused by assemblies and protests.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Whee-young announced at a meeting with officials from member sports organizations residing in the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 11th, that measures to minimize damage to the resident organizations, such as rapidly consulting with financial and tax authorities for the extension of accounting and tax payment deadlines, and providing temporary office space and furnishings, will be pursued.

Minister Choi said, "Member sports organizations are the core entities in the field of sports responsible for improving athletic performance, including nurturing athletes and supporting participation in domestic and international competitions," adding, "We will actively support them to minimize damage to the sports organizations residing in the Handball Gymnasium in consultation with related organizations such as the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation."

He added, "Since temporary measures alone have limitations, we will consult with relevant ministries to find fundamental solutions so that employees can enter the office and handle urgent tasks."

The Handball Gymnasium has been difficult to access due to assemblies related to the infringement of suffrage after being used as a vote counting center for the National Simultaneous Local Elections.

Member sports organizations residing in the building are experiencing disruptions in their operations, including the inability to move out items necessary for international competitions, training, and qualification exams, as well as issues with employee salaries, national team allowance payments, and various accounting procedures. It is also known that administrative tasks such as submitting performance reports are being delayed.

Officials from the sports organizations appealed at the meeting, saying, "We have not been able to enter our offices for a week due to the stadium blockade, and the damage is increasing as we cannot even take out laptops and external hard drives necessary for our work," adding, "There are also disruptions in salary payments and preparations for competition participation."

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, which also attended the crisis management meeting today, have taken emergency response measures.

The participating organizations agreed to support the removal of essential items such as financial transfer OTPs and bankbooks, and to provide temporary office space and equipment to prevent any gaps in core tasks such as participation in international competitions.

To resolve the situation, Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, who was attending the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Coordination Committee meeting in Japan, is scheduled to return early on the 12th.

Upon his return, Yoo plans to directly oversee measures for the normalization of the sports organizations' operations and the protection of athletes.

Yoo stated, "The freedom of assembly and protest should be respected, but the essential administrative functions supporting Korean sports must be maintained stably," and earnestly requested, "Please ensure the removal of materials and equipment necessary for performing essential tasks so that there are no disruptions in athletes' training and preparation for international competitions."