The Dodgers are in the South Korean capital to face the San Diego Padres in a two-game series to open the Major League Baseball season on Wednesday and Thursday. It is the first time MLB has opened the regular season in South Korea. 

The star attraction is Japan's Ohtani, whom the Dodgers signed to a 10-year, $700 million (€645 million) contract in December. He has been described as a modern-day version of Babe Ruth. Seoul's Guro district police told AFP that authorities had found nothing at the venue after special investigators searched the premises in the morning. 

"We received a report of a possible explosive device and searched the venue, but we found nothing," officer Kim Seung-beom told AFP. "We intend to conduct another search before the public is allowed to enter the Sky Dome later tonight before the game." 

San Diego Padres manager Mike Schildt said he had "complete confidence" in MLB and security in South Korea. "We feel safe and we haven't really thought about it, honestly," he said.

According to Seoul's Yonhap news agency, South Korean authorities received a report from an employee at the South Korean Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada. The person reportedly received an email threatening to detonate a bomb during the San Diego Padres-Los Angeles Dodgers game, targeting superstar Shohei Ohtani and others, it added. 

The email, written in English, was allegedly sent by someone claiming to be a Japanese lawyer, Yonhap said, adding that South Korean authorities were investigating to determine whether the email was actually sent from Japan. 

Ohtani won his second American League Most Valuable Player award in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels last year before leaving in free agency. He is a national hero in his native Japan, especially after leading the national team to victory in last year's World Baseball Classic. His popularity also extends to South Korea, where baseball is arguably the country's number one sport.