Dodgers-Padres opener to proceed in South Korea after bomb threat against Shohei Ohtani, per reports
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have proceeded with their MLB season opener in South Korea after a bomb threat against Shohei Ohtani and others, according to the Yonhap News Agency and Los Angeles Times. The game began on time in Seoul.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency reportedly received an email Wednesday morning threatening to detonate a bomb attack at the Gocheok Sky Dome during the opener to hurt Ohtani and others. Local police are now working to track down the sender, as well as deploying 30 commandos and 120 personnel to search the stadium.
Nothing dangerous or suspicious was reportedly found.
MLB confirmed to the Times that the game will proceed as scheduled while pledging to continue monitoring the situation:
“The safety and security of our fans and everyone in the ballparks where we play are always our first priority,” the league said in a statement. “MLB Security works closely with local officials to ensure a safe environment for all those who attend our games. MLB, along with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other local officials, will continue to monitor the situation closely and take any appropriate steps throughout the event.”
The game began at 6 a.m. ET, or 7 p.m. in Seoul, and is the first of two games to be played after an exhibition series in which both the Dodgers and Padres faced the South Korean national team and a KBO team.
The Dodgers arrived in South Korea last week after an offseason that cemented Ohtani as the biggest player in baseball and one of the most popular athletes in the world. After winning his second AL MVP award in three years, Ohtani signed a record-shattering, 10-year, $700 million contract with an unprecedented amount of deferred money to aid his contending team.
Ohtani's presence in South Korea has seen an outpouring of local fans, a rarity in the country that has had a tense relationship at best with Japan historically.
