Busan authorities guide shark Bukangi out of North Port canal to open sea

On 21 October 2026, authorities in Busan, South Korea's largest port city, carried out an operation to lead a large shark nicknamed Bukangi out of a narrow canal at North Port Waterfront Park and into open waters.

The shark had been first spotted in the waterway in mid-September and quickly became a local celebrity, drawing large crowds of onlookers. Earlier rescue attempts had failed, and the animal had stayed in the canal for more than a month, which raised concerns about its health and its chances of survival there. Busan officials had even named it an honorary city ambassador after an online poll.

This time rescuers used a floating platform to guide the shark toward the canal mouth, and it eventually swam out to sea. Reports said it later returned to the canal, leading the city to look for further ways to free it. The operation mattered because it was the first time the shark reached open water, and it set the stage for the later question of where Bukangi went once it left the port area.