Kang Ki-sung, owner of the Ediya Coffee North Port Waterfront Park branch, visits Dong-gu District Office on Thursday to donate 1 million won to the hometown love fund. [Newsis]
Kang Ki-sung, owner of the Ediya Coffee North Port Waterfront Park branch, visits Dong-gu District Office on Thursday to donate 1 million won to the hometown love fund. [Newsis]

The owner of a cafe that saw a surge in customers after a shark nicknamed "Buchang-i" appeared in an artificial waterway at Busan's North Port Waterfront Park has donated a portion of his windfall profits to the local community.

Dong-gu in Busan said Thursday that Kang Ki-sung, owner of the Ediya Coffee branch at North Port Waterfront Park, visited the district office to donate 1 million won ($736) through the hometown love fund.

"I'm delighted that North Port Waterfront Park has become known nationwide thanks to Buchang-i, and I'm grateful to the agencies whose staff worked so hard on the ground," Kang said. "I decided to give back to the community as a way of expressing my gratitude to the visitors who cheered us on despite the long waits and lapses in service caused by the sudden crowds."

The Ediya Coffee branch, located near the park, was swamped with customers after the shark made its appearance, with wait times stretching long and the store descending into chaos at its peak. Online, customers even coined the nickname "Ediya Jaws branch," a nod to the film "Jaws."

At the time, Kang wrote on his SNS account that the sudden appearance of the shark had forced him to draft not only his staff but also his family to help make drinks, yet it still was not enough. "Rumors that I released the shark or that I'm blocking its path to the sea are funny, but they're not true," he wrote. "Honestly, I just want to go buy it a few boxes of mackerel."

The hometown love fund allows individuals to donate to a local government outside their registered address, with the receiving municipality using the funds to improve residents' welfare. Donors receive a tax credit and can receive gifts worth up to 30 percent of their donation in return.

Dong-gu District Mayor Kang Cheol-ho thanked Kang Ki-sung for "sharing his warmth through this virtuous cycle" and pledged that the donation would be "used carefully and transparently wherever it is needed most to improve the welfare of Dong-gu residents."


bbo@heraldcorp.com