[Anchor]

Despite repeated attempts to return it to the sea, the shark Bukang-i is still lingering around the Busan North Port Waterfront Park. With large crowds gathering even during this National Foundation Day holiday, the cumulative number of visitors has now surpassed 1 million.

Reporter Noh Yujin has the details.

[Reporter]

Cheers erupt as the shark, Bukang-i, reveals its presence.

The waterfront park was packed once again today with people eager to see Bukang-i.

Following 72,000 visitors on the first day of the National Foundation Day holiday on October 3 and 69,000 visitors yesterday, about 90,000 people visited on the final day of the holiday today.

The number of people who have visited the park to see Bukang-i has now exceeded 1 million.

[Bang Soo-min / Visitor: Since we came all the way here from Daegu just to see Bukang-i, we are very excited.]

Both the first rescue attempt, which tried to guide it out to the open sea by spraying water toward its tail, and the second attempt, which tried to push it out using a net, ended in failure, meaning Bukang-i is expected to stay in the waterway a little longer.

Related authorities, including the Busan Metropolitan Government, have also retrieved the large nets that had lost their purpose.

Their stance is to monitor the situation for the time being to ensure Bukang-i does not experience stress.

[Kim Ki-dong / Head of Park Planning Team, Park and Leisure Policy Division, Busan Metropolitan Government: We will continue to monitor Bukang-i's condition in cooperation with the National Institute of Fisheries Science, and if any unusual signs or similar situations arise, we will need to establish countermeasures.]

The National Institute of Fisheries Science and other agencies plan to announce the results of their investigations on Bukang-i, including its gender, as early as tomorrow, and discuss additional measures.

(Video by Oh Won-seok / KNN, Video Editing by Kim Jong-mi)