Busan shark becomes tourist sensation, but stirs concerns over warming seas

A shark stranded in Busan’s North Port has drawn more than 560,000 visitors and was named an honorary promotional ambassador by the city on Tuesday. Experts and environmental groups say the attention should not obscure concerns that warming seas and a human-centered waterfront may be part of the animal’s appearance. Authorities tried to guide the shark back to open waters on Tuesday but suspended the operation after it failed. They plan another rescue attempt Friday.

The shark has stayed in the artificial waterway at North Port for 12 days as of Tuesday.

More than 483,000 people visited during the Chuseok holiday alone, and cumulative visitors passed 560,000 after counting began on Sept. 19.

Busan city officially appointed the shark as an honorary promotional ambassador on Tuesday.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science said the average sea temperature off Gijang, Busan, was about 1.2 degrees Celsius higher in 2024 than in 2000.

The Busan Federation for Environmental Movement said North Port was designed mainly as a human-centered space with extensive land reclamation and artificial structures.

Published Sep 29, 2026 4:00 pm KST

City begins efforts to guide 'Bukangi' back to open sea after 12-day stay

Visitors gather at North Port Waterfront Park in Busan to catch a glimpse of Bukangi, the shark that has drawn widespread attention, Tuesday. Yonhap

A shark unexpectedly stranded in an artificial waterway at Busan’s North Port has become a sensation, drawing more than half a million visitors — but experts and environmental groups warn that the frenzy risks turning the animal into a spectacle while overlooking what its unusual appearance may signal about a changing marine environment.

The shark has remained in the artificial waterway at North Port for 12 days as of Tuesday. More than 483,000 people visited the park during the Chuseok holiday alone, while cumulative visitors have surpassed 560,000 since the city began counting them on Sept. 19.

Social media users dubbed the shark "Bukangi," from "buk hang" — the Korean name for Busan’s North Port. As public interest surged, Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo described the shark’s unexpected appearance as an opportunity to raise the profile of the North Port area.

Riding on Bukangi’s growing popularity, the city on Tuesday officially appointed the shark as an honorary promotional ambassador.

The shark's popularity has also delivered a boost to nearby businesses. Some convenience stores near North Port reportedly saw sales rise as the surge in visitors brought more foot traffic to the area.

However, Bukangi’s popularity has also raised concerns that the shark is being viewed merely as a tourist attraction, overshadowing its broader environmental significance.

The shark’s appearance is believed to have been influenced by rising sea temperatures.

Choi Youn, an honorary professor of marine biology at Kunsan National University and a shark expert, explained that as ocean temperatures rise, fish that serve as prey for sharks move northward, prompting sharks to follow their food sources.

“Rising water temperatures appear to be the fundamental factor,” he said. “The shark likely entered the waterway while chasing prey and has remained there because it has been unable to find its way out.”

Data from the National Institute of Fisheries Science also point to a steady warming trend. The average sea temperature off Gijang, Busan, was about 1.2 degrees Celsius higher in 2024 than in 2000. The institute has found that continued increases in sea temperatures are contributing to the northward movement of subtropical fish species and the expansion of their habitats.

Choi also noted that the artificial waterway at the park is shallow and narrow, making it markedly different from the open-water environment the shark would normally inhabit.

“When trapped in an enclosed space, copper sharks tend to swim along the edges and circle continuously in one direction,” he said. “This shark is showing the same behavior in the waterway, which appears to be keeping it from finding its way out.”

Coast Guard and fire rescue crews spray water from boats in an effort to guide Bukangi out of an artificial waterway at North Port Waterfront Park in Busan, Tuesday. Yonhap

Authorities began an operation Tuesday to guide Bukkangi back to open waters, but the attempt was suspended as of 3 p.m. after failing to move the shark out of the area.

Coast Guard and fire rescue crews used high-pressure water pumps installed on rescue boats, spraying the waterway in an effort to create noise and foam that would steer the shark toward the entrance and out to sea. Crews made several passes through the waterway, but Bukkangi remained inside.

With concerns growing over the shark’s health after its prolonged stay, authorities plan to make another rescue attempt Friday by using a special net.

Meanwhile, environmental activists urged the city to see the shark’s appearance as a wake-up call for improving the waterfront’s ecological environment rather than simply capitalizing on its popularity as a tourist attraction.

The Busan Federation for Environmental Movement (BFEM) said the waterfront park was designed primarily as a human-centered space, with extensive land reclamation and artificial structures that may make it difficult for marine animals that enter the area to find their way back out.

“The surge in visitors may offer the city a promotional opportunity, but there is no guarantee that similar cases will not happen again,” said Noh Hyun-seok, co-executive director of BFEM.

“The city should take an ecologically-oriented look at North Port, including water circulation and marine life movement, and explore ways to create a waterfront where people and marine species can coexist.”

一条搁浅在釜山北港的鲨鱼吸引了超过56万名游客，并于周二被釜山市政府授予“荣誉宣传大使”称号。专家和环保组织表示，这种关注不应掩盖人们对海洋变暖和以人类为中心的滨水区可能与该动物搁浅的原因有关的担忧。当局周二曾试图引导这条鲨鱼返回开阔水域，但由于失败而暂停了行动。他们计划于周五再次尝试营救。

截至周二，这条鲨鱼已经在北港的人工水道中停留了12天。

仅在中秋节假期期间，就有超过 48.3 万人次到访，自 9 月 19 日开始统计以来，累计游客人数已超过 56 万人次。

釜山市周二正式任命鲨鱼为荣誉宣传大使。

日本国立水产科学研究所表示，2024 年釜山机张海域的平均海水温度比 2000 年高出约 1.2 摄氏度。

釜山环境运动联盟表示，北港的设计主要以人为本，进行了大规模的填海造地和人工建筑。

发布于2026年9月29日下午4:00（韩国标准时间）

在“布坎吉”号停留12天后，该市开始努力引导其返回公海。

周二，游客聚集在釜山北港海滨公园，一睹备受关注的鲨鱼“布坎吉”的风采。（韩联社）

一条鲨鱼意外搁浅在釜山北港的人工水道中，引起了轰动，吸引了超过 50 万游客——但专家和环保组织警告说，这种狂热可能会将这只动物变成一个奇观，而忽略了它不寻常的外表可能预示着海洋环境的变化。

截至周二，这条鲨鱼已经在北港的人工水道里待了12天。仅在中秋节假期期间，就有超过48.3万人次参观了该公园，而自9月19日该市开始统计游客人数以来，累计游客人数已超过56万人次。

社交媒体用户将这条鲨鱼命名为“Bukangi”，取自“buk hang”，即釜山北港的韩语名称。随着公众关注度的飙升，釜山市长全载洙表示，鲨鱼的意外出现为提升北港地区的知名度提供了一个契机。

凭借布坎吉日益增长的人气，该市于周二正式任命这条鲨鱼为荣誉宣传大使。

鲨鱼的走红也带动了附近商家的生意。据报道，北港附近的一些便利店销售额有所增长，因为游客的涌入为该地区带来了更多人流。

然而，布坎吉鲨鱼的走红也引发了人们的担忧，即人们仅仅将其视为旅游景点，而忽略了它更广泛的环境意义。

人们认为鲨鱼的外形变化受到了海水温度上升的影响。

群山国立大学海洋生物学名誉教授、鲨鱼专家崔允解释说，随着海洋温度升高，作为鲨鱼猎物的鱼类向北移动，促使鲨鱼追随它们的食物来源。

他说：“水温上升似乎是根本原因。这条鲨鱼很可能是在追逐猎物时进入了这条水道，并且因为找不到出路而一直待在那里。”

日本国立水产科学研究所的数据也表明，海水温度呈现持续上升的趋势。2024年釜山机张海域的平均海水温度比2000年高出约1.2摄氏度。该研究所发现，海水温度的持续升高正在促使亚热带鱼类向北迁徙，并扩大其栖息地范围。

崔还指出，公园里的人工水道又浅又窄，与鲨鱼通常栖息的开阔水域环境明显不同。

他说：“当被困在封闭空间时，铜鲨往往会沿着边缘游动，并不断地朝一个方向绕圈。这条鲨鱼在水道中也表现出同样的行为，这似乎使它找不到出路。”

周二，在釜山北港海滨公园，海岸警卫队和消防救援人员乘船喷水，试图引导“武干木”号沉没的船只驶出人工水道。韩联社

周二，当局开始行动引导布坎吉返回公海，但由于未能将鲨鱼移出该区域，行动于下午 3 点暂停。

海岸警卫队和消防救援人员使用救援船上安装的高压水泵，向水道喷水，试图制造噪音和泡沫，引导鲨鱼游向入口并返回大海。救援人员多次在水道中穿梭，但布坎吉始终留在里面。

由于鲨鱼长时间滞留后健康状况令人担忧，当局计划于周五使用特制渔网再次尝试营救。

与此同时，环保人士敦促市政府将鲨鱼的出现视为改善海滨生态环境的警钟，而不是仅仅利用其作为旅游景点的知名度来牟利。

釜山环境运动联盟（BFEM）表示，海滨公园的设计主要以人为本，进行了大规模的填海造地和建造人工建筑，这可能会使进入该区域的海洋动物难以找到返回的路。

“游客激增可能会给这座城市带来宣传机会，但并不能保证类似情况不会再次发生，”BFEM 联合执行董事卢贤锡表示。

“市政府应该从生态角度审视北港，包括水循环和海洋生物迁徙，并探索如何打造一个人类和海洋物种可以共存的海滨地区。”