In brief
A dusky shark nicknamed Bukangi has become a reluctant celebrity in Busan after a week‑long rescue effort saw it guided through the port’s canals. Despite reinforced barriers, the shark keeps circling back to the canal mouth, prompting divided public opinion on whether to keep it in the harbor or release it into open waters. The incident has drawn over 1.6 million visitors, boosting tourism but raising concerns about the animal’s well‑being in warming seas and the growing presence of marine wildlife along Korea’s coast.
A once‑famed dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi, has thrusted itself into the heart of Busan’s port city, refusing to return to the open waters after a daring weekend rescue effort that saw it guided through narrow canals with nets and underwater barriers.
Bukangi, measuring about ten feet, was introduced to the canal last month when warm waters lured it to the harbor’s calmer waters. Despite two earlier net‑based attempts, rescuers finally succeeded on Wednesday in guiding the shark through more than eight hours of meticulous work. Local authorities reinforced barriers on Thursday, yet the creature continues to circle back to the canal’s mouth, sparking debate in the city.
Public reaction has been split. Some local residents, joined by tourists who visited the canal, welcomed the marine visitor as a surprising mascot and rallied to keep it in place, while others express concern that the shark’s health and safety would be compromised by staying in the confined waters.
This shark has made this canal her home, and we are kicking her out unnecessarily. I am afraid the shark might die tangled with the net, or die out at sea.
Meanwhile city officials say the shark’s injury and fainting mass have risen in concern and that a permanent withdrawal is best for the animal’s welfare. They assert that the operation is over, and that yet the shark keeps swimming back, "circling" before potentially heading to the open sea once more.
With the tourism surge—over 1.6 million visitors in just a month—the incident also has boosted Busan’s economy, turning the situation into a passive spectacle that underscores growing challenges of warming seas, possibly bringing more cetaceans to Korean coasts in the future.
