Shark fever hits Busan as 102,000 rush to see 'Bukangi' at start of Chuseok break

More than 100,000 people flocked to a waterfront park at Busan’s North Port on Wednesday, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shark nicknamed “Bukangi” that has been spotted in a canal there. The turnout was about 50 times the park’s usual holiday visitor count. According to the Busan Facilities Corporation on Thursday, approximately 93,000 people had visited the waterfront park in Dong District by 6 p.m. Wednesday. Including visitors who arrived later, the total was estimated at around 102,000. The park typically receives about 2,000 visitors on a holiday. The shark, which was spotted at North Port and given the nickname Bukangi, has become a local attraction, drawing crowds even during the holiday period. The waterfront park is about 500 meters from Busan Station and is within walking distance. As crowds gathered around the park Wednesday afternoon, Busan Metropolitan City sent a safety alert urging people to avoid driving and to use public transportation, warning of severe congestion in the area. To prevent safety accidents, the city has restri