Wednesday, September 30, 2026 - A 3.5-metre shark trapped in a narrow canal in Busan has become an unexpected tourism sensation, drawing about 600,000 visitors to the North Port waterfront since it was first spotted on September 18.
Nicknamed “Bukangi,” the shark has attracted huge crowds eager to watch it swim through the canal, turning an unusual wildlife incident into one of the city’s biggest current attractions.
The surge in visitors has been dramatic. During the four-day Chuseok holiday alone, nearly 500,000 people visited the waterfront park, compared with its normal holiday traffic of roughly 2,000 visitors a day.
Busan has also embraced the unexpected attention, naming Bukangi an honorary public relations ambassador after 91% of respondents in a city Instagram poll supported the move.
But the viral attraction is also an urgent wildlife rescue operation. Authorities have already failed to guide the shark back to open water using boats and water jets and are preparing another attempt with a specially designed net.
Officials say the shark appears stable, but prolonged confinement could limit its ability to feed and move, making a safe release increasingly important.
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