'Bukang-i' shark frenzy draws crowds — but critics warn of a deeper problem

A shark that appeared in the waterway of Busan's North Port waterfront park has drawn up to 10,000 visitors a day, generating what observers are calling a "shark boom" — but critics say the spectacle masks a troubling reality: a marine animal trapped in an artificial structure with nowhere to go.

The Busan Federation of Environment Movement Unions issued a statement Tuesday titled "North Port's Trapped Shark: Whose Waterfront Is This?" urging the public and authorities to pay closer attention to the situation. "We must note that a creature that entered from the sea has been staying in an artificial waterway for an extended period," the group said. "Experts are pointing to the possibility that the shark swam in chasing prey and cannot find its way out. This must not be dismissed as a mere spectacle or a passing incident."

A bull shark measuring 3 to 4 meters has been in the North Port waterway for five days and has been given the nickname "Bukang-i" by the public. The frenzy has taken an alarming turn online, with some people attempting to throw raw chickens into the water to feed the animal. Experts have cautioned against such behavior, warning it "could provoke the shark and trigger aggressive behavior."

The environmental group said the excitement surrounding the shark exposes a structural flaw in how waterfront spaces are designed. Such areas have been built overwhelmingly around human use and convenience — walkways, landscaping and scenic views — while the natural flow of seawater and the freedom of marine life to move and inhabit the space have been entirely overlooked.

The group urged that the incident serve as a catalyst for a scientific investigation into North Port's seawater circulation, water quality, distribution of prey species and overall movement infrastructure.

As an international model, the group pointed to Seattle's urban waterfront redevelopment project. "Seattle improved its structures to allow sunlight to penetrate underwater while enhancing public access, and incorporated habitat and movement corridors for juvenile fish from the design stage," it said. "Even if the facility itself cannot be replicated, the design principle of caring for both people and marine life must be adopted at North Port."

The group also called on the Busan city government to swiftly establish ecological design standards for waterfront spaces along the coast. It said marine ecology experts should be involved from the earliest stages of planning to assess water quality, tidal flow and the effects of light on underwater ecosystems — and that post-completion monitoring should feed back into management frameworks.

"Rising sea temperatures driven by climate change are making it increasingly common for marine animals such as sharks — which once stayed near the southern coast or around Jeju — to shift their habitats and migration routes," the group said. "If Busan truly aspires to be a 'marine capital,' it must break from the outdated habit of treating the sea as a tourism commodity or a backdrop for the city, and fundamentally transform its waterfront policy toward one where humans and marine life can coexist."