Actor Han Sang-jin urges safety as 3-4 meter shark spotted again at Busan waterfront park

Actor Han Sang-jin, a Busan resident known to live in Dong-gu, urged the public to put safety above all else after sharks were spotted near the North Port waterfront park.

Han posted photos and a message on his Instagram account Sunday, writing that a shark had "come to visit Busan's North Port waterfront park."

"Whether it came with something to say or to ask for help, it made it to Busan, so I should give it a name," he added. "Boogie's cousin Buk — North Port Buk."

The sightings marked the second consecutive day a shark had been spotted at the North Port waterfront park.

Busan city officials said a report came in at around 1:05 p.m. Saturday that a shark had appeared in a waterway inside the waterfront park, according to Yonhap.

The city sent out a safety alert urging "those taking walks in the area and nearby residents to exercise caution."

A shark measuring 3 to 4 meters was spotted again in the park's waterway at around 8:57 a.m. Sunday. It was believed to be a bull shark, which belongs to the family Carcharhinidae.

Bull sharks are found in subtropical waters across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, including along the Korean coast, and are classified as a species that poses a risk of attack.

Regarding the sightings, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said on Instagram that the sharks were likely drawn to the area in search of prey, as climate change has brought more warm-water fish to North Port. He added that shark sightings around North Port are expected to become more frequent.

He also said the presence of sharks could be seen as a sign of a healthy ecosystem at the waterfront park. "We will continue to develop North Port into a beautiful sea where diverse species coexist," he said.