The Japanese Embassy said that while most of the 28 women had only light injuries, one sustained a serious injury to her face.

High winds during the event at an outdoor set in a resort area of Gangwon Province of northeastern South Korea caused the part of set to fall down, Yonhap reported.

It said the Japanese spectators were hit by broken pieces and sustained injuries to the head, arms and legs. They were treated at nearby hospitals.

Yon-sama, as Bae is fondly called in Japan, is popular among Japanese women in particular for his starring role in "Winter Sonata," a popular South Korean TV drama series. He does the voiceover for his character in the animated version.

There were reportedly some 1,700 Japanese female fans of Bae watching the event, as part of a tour organized by Digital Adventure, at the time of the accident.