South Korea gets a new internet star as Busan shark sighting goes viral
What it is about
Who published it, and when
13 reports left out of the cascade - too little in common with the story to place
How it spread - 21 original reports, 1 reprint
Mon, 21 September 2026
1 report- South China Morning Post12:53first to report
A 3.5-metre-long shark that wandered into a Busan waterfront channel has become an unlikely internet celebrity in South Korea, drawing nearly 20,000 spectators over the weekend as authorities opted to leave the animal alone rather than risk provoking it. The shark was first spotted on Friday in the waterway at North Port Waterfront Park, where it has remained for at least four consecutive days despite repeated efforts by the public to catch a glimpse of it. South Korea’s National Institute of...
Tue, 29 September 2026
4 reports- RMF24 (Poland)07:30
„Potwór” utknął w kanale miejskim. Tłumy zlatują się, by go zobaczyć
- straitstimes.com09:28
Rescue efforts for a 3.5m shark stranded in Busan canal failed; the city plans another attempt to guide it back to sea using a special net. Read more at straitstimes.com.
- Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)12:17
In Busan in Südkorea hat sich ein großer Hai im Hafen verirrt und findet den Weg zurück ins Meer nicht. Trotz Hilfestellungen. Dafür lockt er jetzt Hunderttausende an und bekommt einen Ehrentitel.
- ANSA (Italy)14:07
La città portuale di Busan invasa da turisti curiosi di vedere l'animale di 3,5 metri
Wed, 30 September 2026
10 reports- Novinky (Czechia)03:10
Tři a půl metru dlouhý žralok, který uvázl v městském vodním kanálu v jihokorejském přístavu Pusan, se stal obří turistickou atrakcí. Od 18. září, kdy tam byl spatřen poprvé, už místo navštívilo více než 600 tisíc lidí, oznámily městské úřady. Zvíře, patrně žralok měděný (Carcharhinus brachyurus), dostalo přezdívku Bukang-i podle tamního přístavu.
- brandonsun.com07:25
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A huge gray shark named Bukangi has become an honorary mascot in South Korea’s biggest port city while slowly circling a canal where the animal has been trapped for nearly two weeks.
- rnz.co.nz08:00
A wayward shark has become an unlikely celebrity in South Korea, drawing massive crowds, earning plaudits from the local mayor and even moving the stock market.
- Index.hr (Croatia)08:04
MORSKI pas koji je zalutao u luku u južnokorejskom Busanu postao je prava atrakcija.
- N1 Info (Croatia)08:14
Morski pas koji je zalutao u luku u južnokorejskom gradu Busanu postao je najnovija atrakcija u zemlji, a gradske vlasti navode da se u protekla dva t
1 reprint
- tportal (Croatia)30 Sept, 08:16their copy
- Vecernji list (Croatia)08:16
Dok vlasti već danima bezuspješno pokušavaju vratiti trometarskog morskog psa u ocean, znatiželjnici u rekordnom broju dolaze pogledati životinju koja je u međuvremenu postala i počasna ambasadorica grada
- Der Spiegel (Germany)08:20
Die Koreaner haben einen dreieinhalb Meter langen Hai ins Herz geschlossen. Das Tier sitzt seit zwei Wochen in einem Kanal in Busan fest. Es kurbelt den Eisabsatz an – und lässt sogar Börsenkurse steigen.
- Telegram.hr (Croatia)08:23
Morski pas je proglašen počasnim ambasadorom za odnose s javnošću
- DW Top Stories09:07
The South Korean port of Busan says that a stranded shark has become a major tourist draw. It's also named the ocean predator an honorary ambassador to the city.
- Le Figaro (France)15:03
Un requin égaré dans un canal artificiel à Busan en Corée du Sud est devenu une célébrité inattendue, attirant les foules, stimulant le commerce local et faisant même brièvement grimper une action en Bourse.
Fri, 2 October 2026
1 report- South China Morning Post13:27
A second attempt to guide a shark stranded in a canal in the South Korean port city of Busan back to the open sea ended without success on Friday, with the animal staying in the waterway into its third week. Rescuers, who had been using a net to try to coax it out, had to end the operation after a two-hour chase due to the risk of their huge net getting caught on rocks. They now hope that the shark will eventually swim out to the open sea on its own, after leaving the net in place to limit...
Sun, 4 October 2026
1 report- iDNES (Czechia)15:20
Velký žralok, který uvázl v jednom z úzkých vodních kanálů v jihokorejském přístavním městě Pusan, se stal nečekanou turistickou atrakcí. Za více než týden se na zbloudilého mořského predátora přijelo podívat více než 600 tisíc lidí, napsal zpravodajský server The Guardian. Tři a půl metru dlouhý žralok byl poprvé spatřen v přímořském vodním parku v Pusanu 18. září.
Tue, 6 October 2026
1 report- Euronews09:00
A bull shark nicknamed ‘Bukhangi’ has drawn about one million visitors to a Busan canal, sparking both fascination and concern for its welfare.
Wed, 7 October 2026
1 report- South China Morning Post03:52
A marooned three-metre-long (nine feet) shark in South Korea has drawn more than a million visitors to the coastal city of Busan, boosting local retail sales and triggering a trademark war, as authorities rush to stop opportunistic vendors from cashing in on the viral phenomenon. The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi” in reference to the park where it has become trapped, has become an internet darling and tourist sensation after non-stop local media coverage about multiple failed efforts to encourage...
Fri, 16 October 2026
1 report- mongabay.com15:01
SEOUL — Wedged between skyscrapers and a bustling passenger ferry port in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, a celebrity of sorts is drawing thousands of admirers as it has been swimming for weeks now in a shallow city canal. Bukangi, a shark named after the waterfront park where she is trapped, has attracted nearly 1.4 […]
Sat, 17 October 2026
1 report- NYT World02:44
Stranded in a port waterway for weeks, the 10-foot fish has attracted more than a million spectators, while officials try to guide her back to open sea.