2nd rescue attempt to return Busan shark suspended

Busan suspended a second rescue attempt on Friday to return Bukangi, a shark stranded for 15 days in an artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park, to the open sea. A joint team used a 50-meter net, boats, and foam created by a water pump, but stopped when the shark was about 50 meters from the sixth pedestrian bridge. City officials said rising high tide and a net snag on the bottom made the operation increasingly difficult. The first rescue attempt failed three days earlier.

Bukangi was first spotted on Sept. 18 in the artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park.

The shark had drawn a total of 674,800 visitors from across the country as of Wednesday.

The rescue team used a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net and boats on both sides of the waterway.

The shark was about 50 meters from the sixth pedestrian bridge when the operation was suspended.

Authorities said the first rescue attempt failed after five hours because Bukangi avoided the water streams.

Published Oct 2, 2026 3:11 pm KST

Updated Oct 2, 2026 6:48 pm KST

A rescue operation using a large custom-made net to guide shark "Bukangi" to open sea is underway at North Port Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan, Friday. Yonhap

A second rescue operation to return “Bukangi,” a shark that has been stranded in an artificial waterway at Busan North Port Waterfront Park for 15 days, to the open sea, has been suspended.

A joint rescue team of Busan city officials and other relevant agencies began slowly guiding Bukangi toward the sea at 3 p.m. on Friday, using a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net and boats positioned on both sides of the waterway.

One boat towed the center of the net, while five people were positioned at each end of the waterway to hold the net and keep pace with the shark. Behind the net, another boat equipped with a water pump created foam on the water to guide Bukangi toward the open sea.

At around 5:40 p.m., however, the rescue team suspended the operation when the shark was about 50 meters from the sixth pedestrian bridge, which was the last bridge to pass to go toward the open sea.

Busan city officials said the operation had become increasingly difficult as the water level rose with high tide approaching, while the net got caught on the bottom about 70 to 80 meters before the sixth pedestrian bridge.

With the mission unable to move Bukangi any farther toward the sea, the rescue team secured the net in place before calling off the operation.

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

Bukangi, affectionately named with the combination of Busan's Bukhang or North Port, and the Korean suffix "-i," was first spotted on Sept. 18 in the artificial waterway at the Waterfront park, attracting a total of 674,800 visitors from across the country as of Wednesday.

With Bukangi's prolonged stay in the waterway, authorities have been working to guide the shark back to the open sea. Sharks typically inhabit the open sea and could suffer health problems or potentially die if they remain in a narrow waterway for an extended period.

A first rescue attempt was made three days earlier, only to fail after five hours as Bukangi avoided the streams of water.

釜山周五暂停了第二次救援行动，试图将搁浅在釜山北港海滨公园人工水道中15天的鲨鱼“布坎吉”（Bukangi）送回大海。联合救援队使用了50米长的渔网、船只以及水泵产生的泡沫，但在鲨鱼距离第六座人行桥约50米处停止了救援。市政府官员表示，不断上涨的潮水和渔网在水底的缠绕使救援行动变得越来越困难。三天前进行的第一次救援行动以失败告终。

Bukangi 于 9 月 18 日首次在釜山北港海滨公园的人工水道中被发现。

截至周三，这条鲨鱼已经吸引了来自全国各地的 674,800 名游客。

救援队使用了一张长 50 米、高 6.8 米的网，并在水道两岸部署了船只。

救援行动暂停时，鲨鱼距离第六座人行天桥约 50 米。

当局表示，第一次救援行动在五个小时后失败，因为布坎吉避开了水流。

发布于2026年10月2日下午3:11（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月2日 下午6:48（韩国标准时间）

周五，在釜山东区北港海滨公园，救援人员正使用特制的大型渔网引导鲨鱼“布坎吉”游向外海。韩联社

第二次营救行动已经暂停，该行动旨在将搁浅在釜山北港海滨公园人工水道中 15 天的鲨鱼“布坎吉”送回大海。

周五下午 3 点，釜山市政府官员和其他相关机构组成的联合救援队开始使用一张 50 米长、6.8 米高的网和放置在水道两侧的船只，慢慢地引导 Bukangi 向大海漂去。

一艘船拖着渔网的中央，五名船员分别位于水道的两端，负责拉紧渔网并跟上鲨鱼的步伐。在渔网后方，另一艘配备水泵的船在水面上制造泡沫，引导布坎吉游向开阔的海域。

然而，大约下午 5 点 40 分，当鲨鱼距离第六座人行桥约 50 米时，救援队暂停了行动。第六座人行桥是通往公海的最后一座桥。

釜山市官员表示，随着涨潮临近，水位上升，作业变得越来越困难，渔网在距离第六座人行桥约 70 至 80 米处被水底缠住。

由于救援队无法将布坎吉进一步推向大海，救援队在取消行动前将渔网固定到位。

釜山鲨成为旅游热点，但也引发了人们对海洋变暖的担忧

Bukangi，这个名字是由釜山的北港（Bukhang）加上韩语后缀“-i”组合而成，于9月18日首次出现在滨水公园的人工水道中，截至周三，已吸引了来自全国各地的674,800名游客。

由于布坎吉在水道中停留时间过长，有关部门一直在努力引导这条鲨鱼返回公海。鲨鱼通常生活在公海，如果长时间停留在狭窄的水道中，可能会出现健康问题甚至死亡。

三天前曾进行过第一次救援尝试，但五个小时后，由于布坎吉避开了水流，救援行动失败了。