Apink get 30 hoax bomb threats from disgruntled fan
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Police in Tokyo received warning call last Wednesday warning that an explosive device had been placed in a concert hall in Nakano where K-pop girl band Apink were scheduled to perform.
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Scores of police were dispatched to the scene following the threat. Although police found no explosives, the concert was delayed by about an hour.
Similar threats were received prior to Apink's concerts in Taiwan and Hong Kong last month.
In all they have been subject to 30 bomb threats prior to concerts or other events since June, all from the same man, who has been known to police for six months.
The calls were traced to a 31-year-old Korean American who lives in Canada. The man seems to be quite open about his campaign, telling an online media agency in June that he used to be an Apink fan but got angry when members went on blind dates with other men on a TV program.
Police in Gangnam turned to Interpol in July to look for the man and placed him on the most-wanted list. They are now seeking his extradition, but the process is taking longer than expected, and meanwhile the man seems at liberty to keep making mischief.
The costs are piling up. Each time a bomb threat is received, police must mobilize large numbers of officers for a search of the off-chance that the threat is real this time, while concerts are either delayed or moved to new venues.
Apink's management agency has had to conduct inspections in advance whenever it arranges events. The agency's head Oh Jeong-heon, said, "We're all emotionally drained by the endless bomb threats".