On the eve of the release of their new album 'Pink UP,' on June 26, a man threatened the group saying he had planted a bomb at Apink's showcase venue. No bombs were found by the police and the event went as planned. Apink has opened up about this harrowing experience.
As noted by Soompi, Apink's group leader, singer-songwriter Park Cho-rong said, "We are apologetic that this sort of news reached fans ahead of our comeback. We were very shocked at the time but are feeling more secure now because of the support we've received from our fans and from those around us."
She added, "We also want to thank the police for their quick handling of the situation. We hope to reach out to fans with only good news after this is all sorted out. Thank you for your concern and support."
Security at both the press showcase and the fan showcase venue were tightened to a considerable degree. There were 20 policemen stationed in addition to 15 private bodyguards for Apink members brought by their record label Plan A Entertainment. This led to Master of Ceremonies (MC), Ding Dong joking, "This is probably the safest concert venue in the world today."
The one threatening to bomb Apink during their showcase event is thought to be the same person who had called police on June 14, saying he'll murder all of them. Apparently, he had telephoned the police at 7:40 p.m. KST by calling 112, saying, "I will go to Apink's agency's headquarters on June 14 at 9 p.m. and kill the members with a knife," as noted by Soompi. Police arrived at the Plan A Entertainment headquarters but the mysterious caller did not show up.
On the next day, he had contacted media agency OSEN saying, "As a fan of Apink for six years, I spent a lot of time and money on Apink. To see Apink on blind dates with not even actors, but actor trainees, I felt betrayed. I called their agency to complain, but they gave a vague answer saying they didn't know which made me angry. So I called the police with the death threat." He added, "I never thought of actually harming Apink."
However, the reason behind him threatening to kill them again, this time with a bomb, is unclear. Either he genuinely wishes to harm them or he's just making empty threats. In any case, whatever the person's intentions may be, he must be apprehended for the safety of not only Apink, but numerous fans who come to listen to them sing. Their lives are also at risk.
