BUSAN — A total of 230,000 people flocked to a waterfront park in Busan's Dong-gu District over two days of the Chuseok holiday to see "Bukangi," a shark that has taken up residence in an artificial channel at North Port Waterfront Park.
On the morning of the 26th, the third day of the Chuseok holiday, gasps rose from the crowd along the artificial channel each time Bukangi surfaced, its fin half above the water as it cut through the channel.
Visitors traded impressions with one another, and strangers standing side by side struck up conversations, sharing tips on the best spots to see the shark.
Bukangi first entered the channel on the 18th and has since appeared along its edges, drawing crowds through the holiday period.
Even though it rained in the morning, the banks of the channel were packed with people holding umbrellas as they waited for a glimpse of the shark.
Visitor numbers at North Port surged during the holiday.
Before the holiday, attendance climbed gradually — 8,800 on the 19th, 10,000 on the 20th, 13,000 on the 21st, 17,000 on the 22nd and 37,000 on the 23rd — before reaching 101,000 on the 24th, the first day of the holiday, and 136,000 on the 25th. Cumulative visitors totaled 230,000 during the Chuseok holiday alone and more than 320,000 overall.
Word spread through news coverage and social media, bringing sightseers from across the country during the holiday. Tourists and holidaymakers wheeling suitcases from nearby Busan Station were a common sight at the waterfront park. Convenience stores and cafes around the park enjoyed an unexpected windfall from the crowds. After the rain stopped in the afternoon, even more people arrived, leaving the North Port parking lot congested.
The Busan Metropolitan Government urged visitors to refrain from driving and use public transportation where possible. The city and related authorities said they would consider options, including returning the shark to the sea, if Bukangi does not leave the channel on its own and remains there after the holiday.
