연합뉴스18 hours agoSociety2 min readSouth Korea

The number of visitors to the shark ‘Bukangi’ at Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan exceeds 52,000... Cumulative number exceeds 800,000

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As of 6 PM the previous day, 52,000 citizens visited the shark 'Bukangi' staying at Bukhang Waterside Park in Dong-gu, Busan, and the cumulative number of visitors exceeded 800,000.
Rescue authorities decided to wait for the shark to leave the waterway naturally despite two attempts, and the National Institute of Science and Fisheries is monitoring its health.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The shark 'Bukangi' was first discovered in the waterway of Bukhang Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan and has remained in the area despite two rescue attempts by rescue authorities. Because of this, many citizens and tourists are visiting the park to see sharks.

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(Busan = Yonhap News) Reporter Son Hyeong-ju = The popularity of the shark 'Bukangi', which continues to stay in the waterway despite two rescue attempts, shows no signs of cooling down.

According to Busan City on the 4th, as of 6 p.m. the previous day, 52,000 citizens visited Bukhang Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan, where 'Bukangi' stays. Since 'Bukangi' was first discovered, the cumulative number of visitors to this park has exceeded 800,000.

As the water level rose due to high tide the previous day and the 'Bukangi' jumped over the installed net and returned to the inside of the waterway, more citizens are expected to visit Bukhang Waterfront Park on this day.

The outdoor parking lot at Busan International Passenger Terminal was full and access was restricted from the morning, and the roads around Bukhang Waterfront Park resembled a parking lot due to a mixture of illegal parking and vehicles trying to enter the park.

The walking trails and pedestrian bridges around the waterway where you can see 'Bukangi' were crowded with people.

Due to the high tide in the afternoon, the activity radius of 'Bukangi' became wider, but the interval at which it could be observed increased accordingly.

Citizens waited with parasols in the hot sun for over an hour to see the shark waving its fins.

Mr. Kim (45) from Daejeon said, "My daughter really wanted to see sharks, so I came to Busan. I haven't seen one yet, but it feels great just to visit a well-maintained park in clear weather."

Foreign tourists who got off at Busan Station also came here with their suitcases to see sharks trapped in the waterway in the city.

'Bukangi' continues to stay in the waterway despite two rescue attempts by rescue authorities.

Rescue authorities, including Busan City, decided to wait for 'Bukangi' to get out of the waterway on its own without any rescue work for the time being.

The net installed after the second rescue operation was also removed at around 4:20 PM the previous day to secure a passage for 'Bukangi' to move to the open sea.

However, the National Institute of Science and Fisheries and others believe that 'Bukangi' is not feeding and are continuously monitoring its health.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

'Bukangi' will naturally escape out of the waterway and return to open waters.
Possible · Within weeks

Open Questions

Will ‘Bukangi’ eventually be able to get out of the waterway?
Specific impacts of long-term waterway stays on shark health
Likelihood and timing of further rescue attempts

The number of visitors to the shark ‘Bukangi’ at Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan exceeds 52,000... Cumulative number exceeds 800,000

Quick Look

As of 6 PM the previous day, 52,000 citizens visited the shark 'Bukangi' staying at Bukhang Waterside Park in Dong-gu, Busan, and the cumulative number of visitors exceeded 800,000.
Rescue authorities decided to wait for the shark to leave the waterway naturally despite two attempts, and the National Institute of Science and Fisheries is monitoring its health.