Busan bids farewell to 'Bukang-i,' the shark that captivated a nation

Busan city officials and representatives from Dong-gu, the Busan Facilities Corporation, the Busan Maritime Police, the Busan Port Authority, the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the Busan Dongbu Police Station and the Port Fire Station held a closed-door meeting Monday afternoon at a conference room inside Bukhang Waterfront Park to discuss options for guiding the shark known as "Bukang-i" back to the open sea or allowing it to leave on its own.

The gathering marked the start of preparations to part ways with the "national shark" that drew unexpectedly large crowds throughout the chuseok holiday. The leading option discussed at the meeting involves spreading nets on both sides of the waterway and gradually narrowing the gap to steer Bukang-i toward the exit.

Physical capture is not under consideration. The National Institute of Fisheries Science has warned that attempting to catch the shark could provoke aggressive behavior, putting both workers and the animal at risk. Deploying divers has also been ruled out, as the waterway is only about 3 meters deep and the shark is sensitive to underwater vibrations from vessels.

The 3.5-meter shark first appeared in the artificial waterway of Bukhang Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan, on Sept. 18, and has since redrawn the city's tourism map. Drawn in by the semi-enclosed, curved structure of the waterway and an abundant food supply, the shark lingered for more than 10 days, earning the name "Bukang-i" — coined by internet users and officially adopted by the Busan Facilities Corporation, which manages the park. The uninvited visitor instantly transformed the waterfront park — a costly development that had struggled to attract attention — into a nationally recognized destination.

Daily visitors to the park, which had averaged around 2,000, surged after Bukang-i's presence became widely known. During the chuseok holiday, 101,000 people visited on Thursday, 136,000 on Friday, 140,000 on Saturday and 91,000 on Sunday, bringing the four-day holiday total to 468,000. From Sept. 19, when the Busan Facilities Corporation began its daily count, through Sunday at 6 p.m., cumulative visitors reached 553,800.

Restaurants and cafes near Bukhang also enjoyed an unexpected windfall. Sales at the Ediya Coffee branch at Bukhang Waterfront Park more than doubled compared to normal, and overall sales at shops near the park jumped 48.6 percent over the Sept. 19–20 weekend compared to the previous week. The ripple effect extended to dining areas near Busan Station, Choryang-dong, Nampodong, Jungang-dong and the Chinatown district.

Retail industry analysts estimate that Bukang-i generated roughly 30 billion to 32 billion won ($22.3 million) in total economic value — comprising 24 billion won in direct real-economy impact, 5 billion won in brand exposure for Bukhang Waterfront Park, and additional gains from related consumer spending and increases in the market capitalization of associated companies nationwide.

The shark's appearance has also sparked what observers are calling the "Bukang-i syndrome." The Lotte Giants, the local baseball team that had been mired in a losing streak, reeled off six consecutive wins after Bukang-i surfaced, climbing to seventh place in the standings. Fans responded by flooding social media with images of the shark dressed in a Giants uniform and renderings of a shark-shaped "Bukhang Dome Stadium," fueling calls to turn Bukang-i into an official character and spawning countless memes.