- South Korean police conducted a search at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul following reports of a bomb threat against Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani.
- Police acted after receiving a report of a threat aimed at Ohtani, but did not provide further details.
- Padres manager Mike Shildt expressed confidence in Major League Baseball’s safety measures despite the threat.
South Korean police said no explosives were found at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome after searching the scene Wednesday following reports of a bomb threat against Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
According to the Seoul Guro Police Station, about 150 police officers searched the stadium using sniffer dogs and X-ray detectors, but no suspicious objects were found.
Officers said they acted on information that there were threats against the Japanese star, but did not provide further details.
North Korea threatens military action in response to US-South Korea joint military exercises
Padres manager Mike Shildt said before the game, “It’s unfortunate that there’s even a possibility of a bomb attack, but we have absolute confidence in Major League Baseball and the security here, and we feel safe.” .
Gocheok Skydome photographed before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the MLB World Tour Seoul Series to be held in Seoul, South Korea on March 20, 2024. Following reports of a bomb threat against Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani, police said they searched the scene Wednesday but found no explosives. (AP Photo/Lee Jin Man)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had not received any specific information about the threat and was told to “just keep working on the game of baseball.”
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the raid comes after the South Korean consulate in Vancouver, Canada, received an email threatening to detonate explosives at Gocheok Stadium during the major league opener between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, scheduled to begin late Wednesday. It was reported that it was carried out after . This game will be MLB’s first regular season game in South Korea.
According to Yonhap News, the sender of the English email claimed to be a Japanese lawyer. Yonhap News, citing police, suspects that the email came from a person who is said to have sent numerous similar threats last year claiming to be a Japanese lawyer.
Kim Jong Un threatens to attack and ‘occupy’ South Korea in case of conflict
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press seeking confirmation of the email allegedly sent to the consulate in Vancouver.
Police and bomb-sniffing dogs were seen searching the stadium’s seats and hallways throughout the morning. The search did not appear to affect preparations for the game, with grounds staff checking the field and K-pop artists rehearsing in the outfield.
Clos Police officials said about 350 officers will be deployed by the time the Dodger-Padres game begins.
The Dodgers set records by signing two-way star Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal, attracting rock stars following this week’s opening series against the Sun. Diego of Soul.
