Busan Seeks Countermeasures Against Potential Shark Incursions Following 'Bukangi' Sighting

Prompted by "Bukangi," a shark that entered the artificial waterway of the Busan Bukhang Waterfront Park and has stayed there for an extended period, the Busan city government has decided to explore measures to prevent sharks from entering public beaches.

Although sharks have never entered Busan's beaches before, the city is taking action because an unprecedented event like the appearance of Bukangi could threaten the safety of beachgoers.

The city of Busan announced that it will discuss shark prevention measures during the 2026 Beach Operation Evaluation Report Meeting scheduled for November 17, with the participation of relevant organizations including five district offices overseeing beaches in the city, the Coast Guard, and the fire department.

Until this year, the city has primarily classified toxic jellyfish as harmful marine organisms and actively responded by installing safety nets at beaches. However, starting with the establishment of next year's beach operation plans, sharks and other marine life will be included as harmful organisms to formulate prevention measures.

An official from Busan explained, "Sharks have never entered Busan beaches before, and even in the East Sea (Donghae), they have typically appeared in deep waters about 10 kilometers away from the coast, so shark entry was not something we anticipated. Considering that Bukangi came as close to the coast as a water depth of 6 meters, we decided to prepare measures to prevent shark incursions at beaches."

Accordingly, Busan plans to check the current inventory of shark prevention equipment across its seven beaches and discuss the necessity of acquiring additional supplies.

The city is strongly considering reinforcing protective nets currently used for harmful marine organisms like jellyfish and introducing shark deterrent devices—similar to those used on East Coast beaches—which repel sharks by sending out electrical currents when a shark is spotted.

This year, Busan's beaches attracted 22.53 million visitors, a 2.54% increase from last year, setting a record high.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.