Man in his 60s detained for assaulting police at Jamsil ballot-counting center

A man in his 60s has been detained after assaulting a police officer while blocking members of the National Assembly's special committee investigating a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections from entering the Jamsil ballot-counting center.

The Seoul Eastern District Court issued an arrest warrant Saturday afternoon after holding a pre-detention hearing for the suspect, identified only as A, on charges of obstruction of official duties, citing a risk of flight.

A is accused of shoving and assaulting a police officer around 1:10 p.m. Thursday at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, as officers tried to remove protesters blocking the parliamentary investigation special committee from entering the facility.

The protesters had linked arms and refused to move, insisting the committee could not enter without a warrant, before police removed them one by one.

Police said the action was not a forced dispersal but a relocation measure carried out under the Act on the Performance of Duties by Police Officers.