Bukangi () is a dusky shark that has been trapped in the canal of North Port Waterfront Park () in Dong District, Busan, South Korea since September 18, 2026. Two rescue attempts have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, it was appointed as an honorary ambassador of Busan due to its nationwide popularity.
Discovery and rescue efforts
As the ocean temperature rises, sharks’ prey are moving farther north, making sharks move accordingly. Bukangi, a 3 meter female dusky shark, is believed to have entered the canal in pursuit of prey and has since been unable to escape. It was first reported in the park on September 18, 2026 at around 8:57 AM KST. In response, the Korea Coast Guard deployed rescue boats and patrol vessels to the scene, and Busan City sent out safety messages to nearby residents. However, following the National Institute of Fisheries Science's advice to allow the shark to return to the sea on its own, the coast guard did not attempt a forced release at the time. The shark began to be called Bukangi after the park's name on social media.
The canal is 1.5 km long and 30–60 meters wide, with a depth of 2.5 meters at low tide and 4 meters at high tide. Experts recommended the rescue of Bukangi as prolonged confinement in the narrow canal, which differs greatly from its natural habitat, could negatively affect its health. Also, the canal is shallow, so its water temperature could drop rapidly. From 11 AM to 12:40 PM on September 29, rescue boats sprayed water behind Bukangi to create foam and noise and thus guide it toward the exit of the canal, but it did not move in that direction. An additional rescue attempt took place for about an hour starting at 2:30 PM, but it ultimately failed.
The second rescue attempt began at 4 PM on October 2. Five people were positioned on each side of the canal to pull a 50 meter long and 6.8 meter wide net towards the exit while two coast guard vessels pulled the center of the net to spread it out evenly in the canal. However, difficulties in deploying the net led the vessels to withdraw at around 5:40 PM. Busan City installed the net 70 meters from the canal’s exit to prevent Bukangi from entering the waterway. However, during high tide on October 3, it crossed over the net and re-entered the canal. Busan City later removed the net and announced that it had no additional rescue plans for the time being.
Popularity
Bukangi is credited with making North Port Waterfront Park a nationwide attraction. While the park previously had two thousand visitors per day, 1,015,800 people visited the park from September 19 to October 5. Nearby cafes and convenience stores saw increased revenue. Also, sales of shark-shaped ice cream bars at convenience stores near the park surged by 30% and the stock prices of Pinkfong known for the song "Baby Shark" rose by more than 7% at one point.
On September 29, Busan City appointed Bukangi as an honorary ambassador after a poll with 91% in favor of the decision. Chun Jae-soo, mayor of Busan, described it as a "new part of Busan's story".
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