Residents photograph a shark that appeared in the waterway of the waterfront park at North Port in Busan's Dong-gu. [Yonhap]
Residents photograph a shark that appeared in the waterway of the waterfront park at North Port in Busan's Dong-gu. [Yonhap]

A shark expert has warned the public not to feed the shark spotted at Busan's North Port.

Choi Yoon, a professor of marine biological resources at Gunsan University and a shark specialist, said in an interview with CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" on Tuesday that the shark likely entered the waterway while chasing prey.

Fisheries authorities have identified the shark as a banded houndshark. Choi said the species is very common along South Korea's southern coast and around Jeju Island, and that rising water temperatures and climate change have pushed it northward as far as Busan.

Choi said that of 949 reported shark attacks on humans worldwide, banded houndsharks and blacktip sharks together account for only two. "Sharks that attack without provocation — such as great white sharks — are just a few species," he said, adding that people should still keep their distance as any shark can attack if agitated.

Choi also cautioned against throwing food into the water. "In the wild, this shark eats fish, not meat," he said. "It won't necessarily eat what you throw at it, and doing so could agitate the animal — so it's best to refrain."

Crowds have been flocking to the North Port waterfront park to catch a glimpse of the shark, which locals have nicknamed "Bukang-i." On Saturday and Sunday, the park drew about 8,800 and 10,000 visitors respectively — four to five times the usual weekend figures.


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