Seoul (AFP) – A shark lost in an artificial canal in South Korea's Busan has become an unexpected celebrity, attracting crowds, boosting local commerce and even briefly sending a stock price higher.

Published on: 09/30/2026 - 4:06 p.m.

The 3.5 meter animal, apparently a bull shark, appeared this month in a man-made waterway in this major port city in the southeast of the country.

The coast guard tried to guide it back to sea by spraying water in its direction from their boats, but the shark did not move.

Affectionately nicknamed "Bukhangi" by its admirers, after the port, it has since attracted large crowds and offered an unexpected boost to the local economy.

Sales of shark-shaped ice creams have jumped by nearly 30% in neighboring convenience stores. Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo thanked the animal for the publicity which otherwise would have cost "trillions" of won (several hundred million euros).

Bukhangi was even appointed honorary ambassador of the city responsible for its promotion, with 91% of the votes.

The craze also spread to the stock market: the shares of The Pinkfong Company, the studio behind the viral song "Baby Shark", briefly rose by more than 7%.

Bull sharks usually live in tropical and subtropical waters. Their presence off the coast of South Korea is extremely rare, according to Kim Jin-koo, a professor at Pukyong National University.

“With the rise in water temperature around South Korea, it seems to have moved closer to the coast,” he explains.

Busan's celebrity also fueled false information. After the report of another fish, Internet users claimed that it was his little one, broadcasting images generated by artificial intelligence.

An official from the Busan city parks department told AFP that no other sharks had been seen from the port. On Friday, authorities will try again to drive this shark back to the sea.

© 2026 AFP

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