No explosives found after bomb hoax forces evacuation, delay The Boyz concert in Seoul

A bomb threat was reported at an Olympic gymnastics stadium in eastern Seoul on Sunday, prompting spectators to evacuate the site, police said. No explosives were found and no one was hurt.

Police sent a bomb squad to search for the explosive device allegedly planted at the KSPO Dome, or the Olympic Gymnastics Arena, in the Songpa district, after the venue's operator received a fax at around 1.45pm local time stating that an explosive had been installed at the stadium, officials said.

K-pop boy group The Boyz was scheduled to hold a concert there at 4 pm. Some 300 fans and personnel were evacuated from the stadium as a precaution.

"No suspicious activities were found inside (the KSPO Dome) as of now," the police and fire authorities said, wrapping up their search.

The agency of The Boyz said it had notified fans that the concert resumed after a 2-hour delay caused by the incident.

Similar bomb threats have been made in recent weeks, including an online post threatening to blow up the main branch of Shinsegae Department Store in Myeongdong, central Seoul. Some 4,000 customers were immediately evacuated.

Police apprehended a middle school student on the southern island of Jeju for posting the threat message, and a man in his 20s in a southern province for posting a similar threat in the comment section.

Making threats to harm an unspecified number of people is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (US$14,400).

(Yonhap News and The Korea Herald)