Five trademark applications filed for 'Bukangi' name confirmed

Filings cover about 40 products including keyrings, clothing and stuffed toys

City acts to prevent private monopoly over public brand

Rescue workers respond to the shark "Bukangi" spotted at Bukhang Waterfront Park. [Yonhap]
Rescue workers respond to the shark "Bukangi" spotted at Bukhang Waterfront Park. [Yonhap]

Busan said Friday it plans to file a trademark application for "Bukangi" — the shark that has taken up residence in the city's Bukhang waterfront area — in October, after private trademark filings for the name were discovered, raising concerns about exclusive commercial use of a symbol that gained its name through public participation.

A search of the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) found five trademark applications filed from Sept. 21 onward using the name's hangul and English spellings, as well as a combined mark featuring "Bukangi," "BUKANGI" and a shark design. The filings cover roughly 40 products, including keyrings, clothing and stuffed toys, and are currently moving through registration procedures.

Filing an application does not automatically confer trademark rights — registration and the scope of any rights are determined through examination — but the city said that if the marks were registered, they could affect the production of public content and use of the name on local products. The city said it would act to prevent any single party from securing exclusive rights over the name and would protect "Bukangi" as a public brand asset.

The city plans to file its own trademark application in October to secure rights as quickly as possible, laying the groundwork for use by residents and the broader community while positioning itself to respond if further third-party applications emerge.

The city also intends to submit information to the Korea Intellectual Property Office through its public-notice procedure, arguing that "Bukangi" is a name that arose and spread organically through public interest and community engagement — not through any individual — and that the appropriateness of granting exclusive rights to a specific party warrants careful review.

Should the city secure trademark rights, it plans to create a framework allowing residents, small-business owners and local creators to make broad use of the name and related content, provided they do not undermine its public value and image. The goal, the city said, is to develop "Bukangi" not as the city government's exclusive property but as an urban brand that the community can share and build together.

Bukangi is a shark that appeared at Bukhang Waterfront Park on Sept. 18 and has remained there for two weeks. The animal drew nationwide attention over the Chuseok holiday and was appointed Busan's honorary ambassador on Tuesday.

"Bukangi has grown into a new symbol of Busan through the interest and participation of its citizens," Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We will make sure the name that residents created together is not monopolized by any individual, and we will build a foundation for the whole community to enjoy and nurture it."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com