91% of 8,200 participants back the appointment; rescue operation launched Tuesday with water pumps

A draft certificate of appointment naming 'Bukang-i' as Busan's honorary promotional ambassador. [Busan city government]
A draft certificate of appointment naming 'Bukang-i' as Busan's honorary promotional ambassador. [Busan city government]

A shark nicknamed "Bukang-i" that appeared in Busan's North Port and captured the hearts of residents across the country is set to be named an honorary promotional ambassador for the city.

Bukang-i first appeared at the North Port waterfront park on Sept. 18, quickly going viral on social media and becoming a talking point well beyond Busan. From Sept. 19 through Monday — the period during which visitor counts were tracked — more than 600,000 people visited the park by 6 p.m. each day, with 480,000 of those arriving during the Chuseok holiday period alone.

To channel the nationwide attention into lasting city content, Busan ran a public opinion poll on its official Instagram account asking residents whether Bukang-i should be named an honorary promotional ambassador. Of the roughly 8,200 people who took part, 91 percent voted in favor, the city announced Tuesday. Related content drew more than 1.05 million views and over 10,000 likes.

Reflecting those results, the city will officially appoint Bukang-i as honorary promotional ambassador. Mayor Jeon Jae-soo will present the certificate of appointment, with Bugi — the city's official mascot character — accepting it on Bukang-i's behalf.

"Bukang-i has become a new story for Busan, embraced with warmth and affection by our residents," Mayor Jeon said. "With more than 8,000 citizens sending in their opinions, we decided to honor their wishes by making the appointment official."

Meanwhile, the Busan Coast Guard and the National Institute of Fisheries Science launched a rescue operation Tuesday morning to guide Bukang-i out of the artificial waterway at the North Port waterfront park. Coast Guard vessels entered the channel and used water pumps to direct jets of water toward the shark, steering it toward the open sea.

If the effort fails, authorities plan to use nets on Saturday to guide the shark back to sea. The waterfront park was again crowded Tuesday with residents who came to catch a glimpse of Bukang-i. Many said they hoped the shark would make it safely back to the ocean, even as they expressed sadness at the prospect of no longer being able to see it.

Rescue workers attempt to guide Bukang-i, a shark that has spent 12 days in the waterway at North Port waterfront park in Dong-gu, Busan, back to the open sea on Tuesday morning. [Yonhap]
Rescue workers attempt to guide Bukang-i, a shark that has spent 12 days in the waterway at North Port waterfront park in Dong-gu, Busan, back to the open sea on Tuesday morning. [Yonhap]

kaf2002@heraldcorp.com