On the 17th, the 13th day since the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections, the blockade protest at the Jamsil counting center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, continued; the Democratic Party’s floor leadership visited the site but, unable to broker a plan to lift the blockade, turned back. The Democratic Party urged the People Power Party and the protesters to stop illegal acts at the scene.

Chief deputy floor leader for operations Cheon Jun-ho, chief deputy floor leader for communications Jeon Yong-gi, and lawmaker Im O-kyung visited Olympic Park in Songpa-gu that morning. They headed toward the entrance of the Handball Arena, where sports organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee had attempted to enter the previous day, but, surrounded by protesters, could not get into the arena. Participants jeered at them and chanted slogans such as “Fraudulent election, re-vote.”

Chief deputy floor leader Cheon said, “We came here to say that the ruling and opposition parties should work together to uncover the truth through a parliamentary investigation into reforming the election management system.” He added, “We respect voices related to the infringement of voting rights, but actions that obstruct the activities of sports organizations are illegal and cannot be tolerated.”

This was the first visit to the protest site by Democratic Party lawmakers at the leadership level. With Korean Sport & Olympic Committee officials and athletes unable to enter the arena for days, they went to assess the situation and attempt mediation. Earlier, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok staged a sit-in at the blockade site the previous day and called for re-elections, saying he would file election petitions for seven areas including Seoul.

The Democratic Party called for an end to illegal acts such as occupying facilities at the protest site. At the party’s supreme council meeting that day, Supreme Council member Moon Jung-bok said, “What is needed now is not commotion but fact-finding,” adding, “We call for orderly assemblies, and if this call is not accepted, it is unavoidably a matter in which the government must intervene.” After the meeting, chief spokesperson Kang Joon-hyun told reporters, “Private ID checks and occupying facilities are illegal acts,” adding, “We urge orderly assemblies.”

Toward leader Jang, the ruling party urged seeking a solution within the National Assembly rather than staging struggles outside it. Floor leader Han Byung-do said, “Far from even collecting opinions within the party, they are deceiving the public by tacking on all sorts of conspiracy theories that completely defy common sense,” and added, “The shaman-like election-fraud conspiracists in the People Power Party should regain their reason and cooperate in uncovering the truth.”

The ruling and opposition parties agreed the previous day to handle, at the National Assembly’s plenary session on the 18th, the plan for a parliamentary investigation to uncover the truth about infringements of citizens’ suffrage. People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun has been designated chair of the special committee, and the ruling and opposition floor managers will be Yoon Kun-young of the Democratic Party and Seo Beom-su of the People Power Party.