▲ A woman (C), who faces charges of blocking officials of sports organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee from entering the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium, arrives at the Seoul Songpa Police Station in southern Seoul to undergo questioning in this photo taken July 10, 2026. (Yonhap)

(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 5, 7)

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Police said Thursday they have applied for an arrest warrant for a woman who staged a solo blockade of a vote counting center last month amid protests demanding a rerun of the June 3 local elections.

The woman is accused of standing outside a door to the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul, which had been used as a ballot counting center, on June 16 and preventing sports groups based at the stadium from entering.

The woman had refused to move despite Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party, brokering an agreement between protesters and the sports groups for sports officials to enter their offices inside the gym.

The Seoul Songpa Police Station said it applied for the warrant for the woman on charges of obstruction of business.

The Seoul Eastern District Court is scheduled to hold an arrest warrant hearing on the case on Tuesday.

The police have also requested an arrest warrant for a man in his 30s on charges of illegally searching through personal belongings of members of the national women's youth handball team outside the stadium on June 8.

They have also sought warrants to arrest three men in their 20s on charges of cursing at police officers and obstructing their duty.

The protests began after shortages of ballot papers were reported at multiple polling stations on election day, causing some voters to turn back without casting their ballots.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]