Stranded Shark Draws 102,000 Visitors to Busan Waterfront Park
A 3.5-meter shark stranded in an artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park attracted an estimated 102,000 visitors on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, prompting a city safety alert and traffic warnings.
A shark stranded in an artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park drew an estimated 102,000 visitors on the first day of the Chuseok holiday, turning the unusual marine sighting into a major local attraction and a public-safety challenge.
The 3.5-meter shark has remained in the waterway at the park in Dong-gu since it was first spotted on Sept. 18. Visitors have nicknamed it “Bukangi,” a name derived from the North Port area. Thousands of people have continued to gather along the waterfront for a glimpse of the animal.
According to the Busan Facilities Corp., about 93,000 people had visited the park by 6 p.m. Thursday. Access to the area is restricted between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. for safety, so officials estimated the number of people who arrived after the restriction began. Including those visitors, the day’s total was put at approximately 102,000.
That figure was about 50 times the park’s usual attendance of roughly 2,000 people on a holiday. The surge added pressure to roads and pedestrian areas around the waterfront during one of South Korea’s busiest annual travel periods.
Busan authorities issued a safety alert Thursday afternoon as crowds grew, warning residents and visitors about severe traffic congestion. The city encouraged people heading to the park to use public transportation rather than drive. The access restrictions and warning reflected concerns about managing a large gathering close to the waterway.
The shark’s presence has also brought an unexpected boost to nearby businesses. Convenience stores and cafes around the park have seen increased activity as people have traveled to the area since the sighting began.
Authorities plan to continue monitoring the shark throughout the Chuseok holiday. Officials hope it will find its way out of the artificial channel without intervention. If the animal remains after the holiday period, they intend to develop a plan to lure it safely back toward open water.
For now, the shark remains both a wildlife concern and a holiday spectacle, drawing crowds far beyond the park’s normal capacity while officials balance public access, traffic control and the animal’s safe departure.