As the shark that entered the artificial waterway at the Busan Port North Port Waterfront Park remained there through the Chuseok holiday, the crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the shark on the first day of the holiday exceeded 100,000.

The Busan Facilities Corporation announced that the cumulative number of visitors to the waterfront park by 6:00 PM yesterday, September 24, the first day of the holiday, was estimated at approximately 93,000.

To prevent safety accidents, the Busan Metropolitan Government restricts access to the area around the waterfront park waterway every day from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM the following day.

When including visitors who arrived after 6:00 PM, the total exceeds 100,000.

Considering that the usual number of daily visitors is around 2,000, this means a crowd nearly 50 times larger flocked to the area.

Citizens flocked to the park during the holiday as the waterfront park shark, dubbed Bukang after being discovered at North Port, emerged as a nationwide attraction.

Returning holiday travelers arriving at Busan Station were also reported to have visited the waterfront park, which is located about 500 meters away from the station.

As the crowds surged, the Busan Metropolitan Government sent out an emergency text message stating, "Severe congestion is occurring around the waterfront park area," and urging visitors to "refrain from using cars and use public transportation as much as possible."

A large number of visitors is also expected today, the second day of the holiday and the Chuseok festival itself.

Bukang, which was first discovered in the waterfront park waterway on September 18, has been staying there for 8 days.

Convenience stores, cafes, and other nearby businesses are enjoying an unexpected boom as visitors flock to get a close look at the 3.5-meter-large shark.

Relevant authorities, including the Busan Metropolitan Government, plan to wait for Bukang to leave the waterway on its own during the holiday period, and prepare rescue measures if it remains after the holidays.

Reported by Kim Yongtae | Video by Lee Gi-eun | Graphics by Sumin Lee | Produced by Busan Digital News