Bomb threat against MLB Seoul Series targets Dodgers' star Shohei Ohtani

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Bomb threat against MLB Seoul Series targets Dodgers' star Shohei Ohtani

Published: 20 Mar. 2024, 11:47 Updated: 20 Mar. 2024, 17:59

KIM JI-YE
kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr

Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul is set to open Korea's first MLB game on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Police are currently tracking down the sender of an email threatening to bomb the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, where the 2024 U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) Seoul Series is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

An employee at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vancouver filed a report at 6:08 a.m. Wednesday, stating that they received an email, written in English but shared in Korean, threatening to bomb the area during the game and harm Los Angeles Dodgers’ star Shohei Ohtani, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Guro Police Precinct.

Local media reports indicate that the email could be from a Japanese lawyer.

Police are currently investigating whether the email originated from Japan.

To ensure public safety, 30 commandos and 120 police personnel have been deployed to search the area while efforts to track down the sender are under way.

As of now, no signs of a bomb have been detected.

Authorities are also examining whether the sender of this threat is the same individual who sent threats via mail and fax from Japan to Korea since last August, noting similarities in the method used in both cases.

The 2024 MLB Seoul Series, set to take place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

This marks the first official MLB game to be held in Korea.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]