Busan shark refuses to leave canal for 3 weeks despite rescue attempts

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BUSAN, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- Nearly three weeks have passed as of Tuesday since a shark, now the most famous of its kind in South Korea, got trapped in a canal at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan, despite local authorities' rescue attempts.

The shark was first spotted Sept. 18 in the narrow canal at the city's North Port, located some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. For the next two days, nearly 20,000 visitors came to see the shark, a fivefold increase compared with the park's usual daily average of about 2,000 visitors during holidays.

Public interest spiked dramatically during the Chuseok holiday, which fell on Sept. 25, with a daily average of 120,750 visitors flocking to the waterfront park between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27.

The shark has been affectionately named "Bukang-i" after Bukhang, or North Port, as well as serving as an honorary ambassador of Busan.

As of Monday, 1.02 million people have visited the park to see Bukang-i, according to the Busan city government.

This file photo, taken Sept. 27, 2026, shows visitors watching Bukang-i, a shark trapped in a narrow canal at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan, swim. (Yonhap)

Initially, local maritime police and authorities tried to drive the shark away, but the animal refused to leave the channel, prompting officials to suspend their operations.

The city government soon decided to conduct a rescue operation with relevant authorities, as staying too long in the narrow channel could gradually weaken the shark's stamina.

On Sept. 29, the Busan Coast Guard and related agencies deployed five vessels to the artificial waterway and sprayed water streams to herd the shark toward the open sea.

The shark, however, kept dodging water streams, prompting authorities to call off the operation about five hours later.

Maritime authorities conduct a rescue operation on Sept. 29, 2026, to guide the shark Bukang-i out of a canal at a waterfront park to the open sea in the southeastern city of Busan. (Yonhap)

On Friday, a joint rescue team involving city and Coast Guard officials made their second shot at rescuing the animal, this time using a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net to drive the shark.

But the net got stuck on the bottom of the canal, and the shark showed no intention of leaving.

Maritime authorities use a net in an attempt to guide the shark Bukang-i out of a canal in the southeastern city of Busan to the outer sea on Oct. 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

They eventually pulled the net away to let the shark leave on its own but to no avail.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science has been checking Bukang-i's health every day and has yet to identify any major problem, the institute said.

yusbvtyhtoo@yna.co.kr (END)

Over 560,000 visitors flock to Busan to see canal-trapped shark Bukang-i

(LEAD) Busan to launch rescue operation for canal-trapped shark 'Bukang-i'

Busan launches rescue operation for canal-trapped shark 'Bukang-i'

(LEAD) Busan authorities fail to guide shark to open sea, set to resume operation within days

Rescue operation for Busan shark set to resume

Shark returns to canal a day after 2nd rescue attempt

Busan shark refuses to leave canal for 3 weeks despite rescue attempts

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釜山，10 月 6 日（韩联社）——截至周二，距离韩国东南部城市釜山海滨公园的一条鲨鱼被困在运河中已经过去了近三周，尽管当地政府进行了救援。这条鲨鱼现在是韩国最著名的鲨鱼。

这条鲨鱼于9月18日首次在首尔以南约330公里的首尔北港狭窄运河中被发现。接下来的两天里，近2万名游客前来观看这条鲨鱼，比该公园节假日期间通常每天约2000名游客的接待量增加了五倍。

在 9 月 25 日的中秋节假期期间，公众的兴趣急剧上升，9 月 24 日至 27 日期间，平均每天有 120,750 名游客涌入海滨公园。

这条鲨鱼被亲切地命名为“Bukang-i”，取自釜山北港（Bukhang），同时也是釜山的荣誉大使。

据釜山市政府统计，截至周一，已有 102 万人次参观了北海道公园，一睹北海道的风采。

这张摄于2026年9月27日的资料照片显示，游客们正在观看被困在韩国东南部城市釜山一处滨水公园狭窄水道中的鲨鱼“布康伊”（Bukang-i）游泳。（韩联社）

起初，当地海事警察和有关部门试图驱赶鲨鱼，但这条鲨鱼拒绝离开航道，导致官员们暂停了行动。

由于鲨鱼在狭窄的航道中停留时间过长可能会逐渐削弱其体力，市政府很快决定与相关部门展开救援行动。

9月29日，釜山海上保安厅及相关机构派出五艘船只到人工水道，喷洒水流将鲨鱼驱赶到公海。

然而，鲨鱼不断躲避水流，导致当局在大约五个小时后取消了行动。

2026年9月29日，韩国海事部门在釜山市一处海滨公园的运河中展开救援行动，引导鲨鱼“布康伊”返回公海。（韩联社）

周五，由市政府和海岸警卫队官员组成的联合救援队第二次尝试营救这只鲨鱼，这次他们使用一张 50 米长、6.8 米高的网来驱赶鲨鱼。

但是渔网卡在了运河底部，鲨鱼也没有离开的意思。

2026年10月2日，韩国釜山海事部门使用渔网试图将鲨鱼“布康伊”从东南部城市釜山的一条运河中引至外海。（韩联社）

他们最终把网拉开，想让鲨鱼自行离开，但无济于事。

国立水产科学研究所表示，他们每天都在检查“布康伊”的健康状况，目前尚未发现任何重大问题。

yusbvtyhtoo@yna.co.kr (完)

每年有超过56万游客涌入釜山，只为一睹被困在运河中的鲨鱼“北海鲨”的风采。

（导语）釜山将展开营救行动，解救被困运河中的鲨鱼“北江伊”

釜山展开营救行动，解救被困运河中的鲨鱼“北江伊”

（导语）釜山当局未能成功引导鲨鱼返回公海，预计将在数日内恢复行动

釜山鲨鱼救援行动即将恢复

鲨鱼在第二次救援尝试后一天返回运河。

尽管救援人员多次尝试，釜山鲨鱼仍拒绝离开运河，至今已持续三周。