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

BUSAN, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- Maritime authorities on Tuesday launched an operation to guide a shark from a canal to the outer sea, 12 days after the animal became trapped in the canal at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan.

The Busan Coast Guard and the National Institute of Fisheries Science, along with other relevant agencies, began preparing for the operation earlier in the day at North Port in Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Once the preparatory work is completed, the police plan to deploy two vessels to guide the shark out of the park by spraying streams of water.

If the method fails, they plan to guide the shark to the open sea by using a net custom-made to fit the width and depth of the artificial waterway.

Affectionately named "Bukang-i" -- a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" -- the marine animal has drawn more than 600,000 visitors as of Monday since it was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18.

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

With no feeding activities observed since the sharp was first spotted, the local authorities decided it was not longer viable to let the animal stay in the canal and held a meeting Monday to discuss rescue plans.
 

Visitors watch Bukang-i, a shark trapped in a narrow canal, swim at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan on Sept. 27, 2026, the last day of the Chuseok holiday. (Yonhap)

yusbvtyhtoo@yna.co.kr
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