Why has Busan’s Bukang-i shark remained in the North Port canal?

The shark repeatedly avoided efforts to guide it toward the open sea, including water streams from five vessels and a 50-meter-long net. After the net became stuck and the shark showed no intention of leaving, officials removed it so the animal could depart on its own, but it remained in the canal.

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

As of Monday, 1.02 million people had visited the waterfront park to see Bukang-i, according to the Busan city government. During the Chuseok period from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27, the park recorded an average of 120,750 visitors per day.

What is the current health condition of the shark trapped in Busan’s canal?

The National Institute of Fisheries Science checks Bukang-i’s health every day and has not found any major problem. City officials nevertheless decided to organize a rescue because remaining too long in the narrow canal could gradually weaken the shark’s stamina.

Busan shark refuses to leave canal for 3 weeks despite rescue attempts

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Summary

A shark has remained trapped for nearly three weeks in a canal at Busan’s North Port waterfront park despite repeated rescue attempts. First spotted on Sept. 18, the shark was named Bukang-i and made an honorary ambassador of Busan. More than 1.02 million people have visited the park to see it. Authorities’ latest attempt failed after a 50-meter-long net became stuck, while daily health checks have found no major problem.

Key Facts

The park received about 120,750 visitors per day from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27, compared with a usual holiday daily average of about 2,000 visitors.
On Sept. 29, five vessels used water streams to herd Bukang-i toward the open sea, but the operation was halted about five hours later after the shark repeatedly dodged them.
A second rescue attempt used a net measuring 50 meters long and 6.8 meters high, but the net became stuck on the canal bottom.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science has examined Bukang-i daily and has not identified any major health problem.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 6, 2026 1:34 pm KST

Bukang-i, the shark trapped in a canal at Busan's North Port, swims through the water, Friday. Yonhap

Nearly three weeks have passed as of Tuesday since a shark, now the most famous of its kind in Korea, got trapped in a canal at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan, despite local authorities' rescue attempts.

The shark was first spotted Sept. 18 in the narrow canal at the city's North Port, located some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. For the next two days, nearly 20,000 visitors came to see the shark, a fivefold increase compared with the park's usual daily average of about 2,000 visitors during holidays.

Public interest spiked dramatically during the Chuseok holiday, which fell on Sept. 25, with a daily average of 120,750 visitors flocking to the waterfront park between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27.

The shark has been affectionately named "Bukang-i" after Bukhang, or North Port, as well as serving as an honorary ambassador of Busan.

As of Monday, 1.02 million people have visited the park to see Bukang-i, according to the Busan city government.

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

The city government soon decided to conduct a rescue operation with relevant authorities, as staying too long in the narrow channel could gradually weaken the shark's stamina.

On Sept. 29, the Busan Coast Guard and related agencies deployed five vessels to the artificial waterway and sprayed water streams to herd the shark toward the open sea.

The shark, however, kept dodging water streams, prompting authorities to call off the operation about five hours later.

On Friday, a joint rescue team involving city and Coast Guard officials made their second shot at rescuing the animal, this time using a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net to drive the shark.

But the net got stuck on the bottom of the canal, and the shark showed no intention of leaving.

They eventually pulled the net away to let the shark leave on its own but to no avail.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science has been checking Bukang-i's health every day and has yet to identify any major problem, the institute said.

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