SEOUL (AP) — South Korean police have confirmed that no explosives were found at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul after a thorough search on Wednesday following a bomb threat against Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
Approximately 150 police officers, along with tracking dogs, X-ray detectors, and other equipment, conducted a search of the entire stadium but did not discover any suspicious objects, according to the Guro police station in Seoul.
The police received information about a threat against Ohtani, prompting them to take action, although they did not disclose specific details regarding the threat. The search was initiated after the South Korean consulate general in Vancouver, Canada, received an email threatening to detonate an explosive at Gocheok Stadium during the first game of the Major League season between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres, scheduled for Wednesday. This game marks the first MLB regular season matchup in the country.
Yonhap news agency reported that the email, sent in English, claimed to be from a Japanese lawyer. Police suspect that the email may have originated from the same individual who sent a series of similar threatening messages last year, also claiming to be a Japanese lawyer.
Despite the search, preparations for the game seemed unaffected, with staff continuing their work on the field and a K-pop group rehearsing in the outfield. Guro police mentioned that about 350 officers would be deployed for security purposes at the start of the game between the Dodgers and Padres.