More than 1.5 million flock to see Busan's famous shark

More than 1.5 million people are expected to have visited Busan's North Port waterfront park by Saturday to catch a glimpse of "Bukang-i," a shark that has remained in an artificial canal for a month.

The figure is equivalent to nearly half of Busan's population of about 3.23 million.

According to local authorities, cumulative visitors stood at 1.496 million as of Friday, including some 32,000 that day. Another 2,150 people had arrived by 9 a.m. Saturday, putting the total on course to surpass 1.5 million later in the day.

Bukang-i was first spotted in a narrow canal at North Port Waterfront Park on Sept. 18. The shark, about 3.5 meters long, quickly became a local attraction, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors within days.

Its nickname combines "Bukhang," the Korean name for North Port, with the Korean suffix "-i."

Authorities have made two attempts to guide Bukang-i back to open water, citing concerns over public safety and the animal's condition.

One operation used vessels and water pumps to create currents and noise to steer the shark toward the sea, while another involved a large net. Both failed after Bukang-i evaded the equipment and returned to the canal.

Officials have since held off on further attempts, concerned that repeated efforts could place excessive stress on the animal.

Bukang-i has also attracted some high-profile visitors. President Lee Jae Myung visited the waterfront park Monday while in Busan, greeting and taking photos with people who had gathered to see the shark.

The shark remained in the canal as of Saturday morning, with visitors continuing to arrive ahead of the weekend.

Authorities said they plan to maintain safety controls around the waterway while consulting experts on how to handle Bukang-i.