Why is Busan trying to rescue the shark Bukang-i from North Port canal now?

Officials said the shark could gradually weaken if it stays longer in the channel. They decided to act after meeting relevant authorities and plan to start the rescue at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

What rescue method will Busan use to move the shark Bukang-i out of the canal?

The city plans to use vessels and water pumps to guide the shark out of the park. If that fails, it will try to lead the shark to the outer sea with a custom-made net fitted to the width and depth of the artificial waterway.

How many people have visited the Busan waterfront park to see Bukang-i?

The Busan Infrastructure Corp. said 568,800 visitors had come since Sept. 19. Interest surged during Chuseok, when 483,000 people visited over four days.

Busan to launch rescue operation for canal-trapped shark 'Bukang-i'

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Summary

Busan city government will launch a rescue operation this week for a 3.5-meter shark trapped in a canal at North Port Waterfront Park in Busan. Officials decided Monday to use vessels and water pumps from 10 a.m. Tuesday to guide Bukang-i out of the park, with a custom net as a backup. The shark has drawn 568,800 visitors since Sept. 19, and its activity and respiration remain stable.

Key Facts

The shark was first spotted Sept. 18 in a narrow canal at Busan’s North Port.
Busan Infrastructure Corp. said 568,800 people had visited since Sept. 19 to see Bukang-i.
During the four-day Chuseok holiday, 483,000 visitors came to the waterfront park, including 101,000 on Thursday, 136,000 on Friday, 140,000 the next day and 106,000 on Sunday.
The park’s holiday visitor count was about fifty times its usual daily average of 2,000 visitors.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science said the shark’s activity and respiration level remained stable after a field inspection.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 28, 2026 11:28 am KST
Updated Sep 28, 2026 5:16 pm KST

Visitors watch Bukang-i, a shark trapped in a narrow canal, swim at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan, Sunday. Yonhap

BUSAN — The Busan city government said Monday it will launch a rescue operation this week for a 3.5-meter shark trapped in a local canal at a waterfront park in the southeastern port city.

The shark was first spotted Sept. 18 in a narrow canal at Busan's North Port. Affectionately named Bukang-i -- a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" -- the marine animal has drawn 568,800 visitors since Sept. 19, according to the Busan Infrastructure Corp.

The city government held a meeting with relevant authorities earlier Monday and decided to use vessels and water pumps to guide Bukang-i out of the park, starting 10 a.m. Tuesday, as staying longer in the channel could gradually weaken its stamina.

If the method fails, authorities said they plan to guide the shark to the outer sea by using a net custom-made to fit the width and depth of the artificial waterway.

The shark's activity and respiration level remain stable, according to a field inspection conducted by the National Institute of Fisheries Science.

Public interest spiked dramatically during the Chuseok holiday, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, with 483,000 visitors flocking to the waterfront park over four days: 101,000 on Thursday, 136,000 on Friday, 140,000 the following day and 106,000 on Sunday. These figures represent a fiftyfold increase compared with the park's usual daily average of about 2,000 visitors during holidays.

Initially, local maritime police and authorities tried to drive the shark away. The animal, however, refused to leave the channel, prompting officials to suspend their operations.

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