Busan rides wave of fame from celebrity shark as calls for third rescue grow

BUSAN — A third attempt to guide Busan's celebrity shark back to the open sea may soon be underway, even as Bukangi's soaring popularity shows no signs of cooling off.

"The waterway [where the shark is staying] is shallow, and sharp temperature differences between day and night could create dangerous conditions at night," People Power Party Rep. Cho Seung-hwan said during a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in Busan on Monday. "A rescue manual for Bukangi needs to be established."

The shark, which entered an artificial waterway at Busan's North Port Waterfront Park on Sept. 18 and has not found its way out, was even a frequent topic during the parliamentary audit. Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties called for rescue and management guidelines for Bukangi, measures to detect sharks, further research into their ecology and a coordinated response system among relevant agencies.

Local authorities attempted to guide the shark back into the open sea on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2, but both attempts failed.

Around 1.39 million people have since visited the park to see Bukangi as of Monday, according to figures released by the Busan Facilities Corporation on Tuesday.

While the shark stays, Busan is riding the wave of its popularity.

The Busan city government appointed Bukangi an honorary ambassador and is pursuing trademark applications related to the shark. Busan's Dong District, where the waterfront park is located, is holding a contest to design and name a shark character for the North Port through Oct. 23. The district plans to use the winning entry for merchandise, emoticons and sculptures.

Private companies have also joined in. Busan-based Daesun Distilling released a special edition of its soju featuring a shark character on the bottle's label. The Lotte Giants baseball team, whose home is Busan, introduced a plush toy of its mascot Nuri wearing a shark costume.

A graduate student at Busan's Pukyong National University developed a web service called "Is Bukangi Here Now?" (translated) to help people hoping to catch a glimpse of the shark. The website allows people to report where they have spotted Bukangi in the waterway in real time.

However, the growing Bukangi craze has also raised concerns.

A search for "Bukangi" on the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service shows that an individual filed a trademark application on Sept. 25 for a design combining the word "BUKANGI" with a shark image. The application covers products including key chains and mugs.

If the trademark is registered, it could complicate efforts by the Busan city government and other local authorities to develop or use Bukangi-related merchandise and promotional materials.

The influx of visitors to the waterfront park has also put a strain on park management, with illegal parking, traffic congestion and pedestrian safety concerns emerging in the surrounding area.

Injuries have also been observed around Bukangi's snout and head, raising concerns that continued external disturbances, including bright lights directed at the shark by some visitors at night, could stress the animal and worsen its wounds.

The Busan city government and the National Institute of Fisheries Science plan to continue monitoring Bukangi's movements and health before deciding whether to attempt another rescue.

"Pollutants entering the waterway could worsen infections in the wounds around Bukangi's snout and lead to deteriorating health," said Choi Yoon, a professor emeritus in the Department of Marine Biology at Kunsan National University. "A third attempt to guide Bukangi back to the open sea is likely to take place soon."

The shark has not been observed hunting for food inside the waterway, which is one concern. The species typically prefers water temperatures between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius (64 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit), and falling temperatures in autumn and a potential lack of food could affect its health.

Experts suggest that noise and vibrations from vessels near the waterway may have interfered with Bukangi's ability to navigate toward the open sea.

BY KIM MIN-JU [[email protected]]