- Bukang-i is a 'blessing,' but concerns grow as over two weeks pass
- No sign of feeding activity, exhibiting repetitive back-and-forth swimming
- Extraordinary measures within 3 minutes in an emergency; specific method classified
- Sea temperature is dropping; shark needs to return to its natural habitat
- Waterfront park built with 90 billion won; 'Bukang-i' serves as top PR promoter
- Will Bukang-i rake in tourists as it lingers without leaving for the sea?
- Popularity of 'Oncheoni' the otter also stems from the warmth of Busan citizens
- BIFF elevated to A-list status, standing on par with the Big Three film festivals
- Winner of 'Busan Award' automatically eligible for the Academy Awards
- 'The Assassin(s)' cancels BIFF schedule over safety concerns
- Yeouido politics only kills... politicians must work to save and revive
 
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz, 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: January 13, 2026 (Tue)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: A very special star has recently gained immense popularity in Busan. It is Bukang-i, a shark that appeared in Busan North Port. After capturing the hearts of people across the country, it was even mentioned yesterday (October 12) during the parliamentary audit. Let's speak with Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo to hear how it is doing in Busan.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Hello, everyone. This is Jeon Jae-soo.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: This is your first interview with us since taking office, and the topic turned out to be a shark.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: It is a true blessing. A blessing for our Busan. People even say, "What great fortune does Mayor Jeon Jae-soo have that Bukang-i appeared to provide publicity worth hundreds of billions of won that money couldn't even buy?" Busan citizens are calling Bukang-i a true blessing. Everything it does is just lovely.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Let me ask about Bukang-i's condition first. There were reports that it sustained scratches around its mouth. Is it doing okay?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Bukang-i appeared in Busan on September 18. For about the first fifteen days, people were just ecstatic, but as two weeks passed, concerns gradually began to surface. That is because Bukang-i is a dusky shark, which is an internationally endangered species. It is rarely seen in Korean waters, so it hasn't been designated as an endangered species domestically, but internationally, it is already classified as endangered. Furthermore, it is a wild animal. According to our observations so far, there has been no sign of feeding activity.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: It isn't eating?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Yes, at least within what we can confirm, there has been no feeding activity. At first, the waterway is quite long, and it swam across the entire channel. Recently, however, it has increasingly shown behavior such as moving back and forth only within a specific section. So while we initially saw it simply as a blessing, we are now beginning to worry whether there might be an issue with its health. We have been cooperating with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, while the Busan Metropolitan Government manages operations on the ground. Together with the Busan Facilities Management Corporation, Dong-gu District Office, Police, Coast Guard, Fire Department, the National Institute of Fisheries Science, and the Busan Port Authority, a total of 105 personnel are deployed to monitor Bukang-i's safety and well-being. A few days ago, we held a response meeting with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and related agencies and agreed that if even the slightest concerning sign appears in its health, extraordinary measures must be taken. We have prepared those emergency response plans, though the specific method is classified. All preparations are in place so that we can arrive and take action within three minutes should an emergency arise.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: You mentioned there has been no feeding activity. Are you also preparing to supply food? Since you said it isn't eating.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Dusky sharks can endure up to about a month without eating anything. Still, as we monitor Bukang-i every day and collect expert opinions, it is psychologically very stable and physically in very good health right now. However, the seawater temperature is currently dropping significantly. Additionally, it occasionally exhibits stereotypical behavior—continuously swimming back and forth only within a specific stretch. Because of this, we are fully prepared to dispatch within three minutes to take emergency measures if an emergency occurs.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: In any case, while you cannot share details because it is classified, you are preparing extraordinary measures for an emergency.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Bukang-i needs to return to where it originally lived, so we are making preparations.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: By the way, Mayor, have you seen it in person?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: I am going to see it today (October 13).
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Speaking of the location, there is the North Port Waterfront Park. What kind of place is this, and how did Bukang-i end up coming all the way here?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: This year marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port. It almost feels as if it came to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Busan Port's opening. This is also the inaugural year for maritime and fisheries development. Heading toward the Northern Sea Route, the PanStar Acro successfully completed its test voyage and returned to Busan Port yesterday (October 12). Port operations are being shifted to Busan New Port so this space can be returned to citizens. We invested 90 billion won to create this truly beautiful waterfront park, and because it is connected by pedestrian decks, it only takes 7 to 8 minutes, or at most 10 minutes, to walk there. That is why we have promoted it extensively and hosted numerous events. The Busan Opera House will also open soon, and a dome arena is planned as well. It is a symbolic venue for shaping Busan as a maritime capital. Before all that even started, Bukang-i arrived and raised national and global awareness of the site, so we feel an indescribable sense of gratitude.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: There have been continuous reports lately that Busan has become a hot tourist destination, centered primarily around Haeundae.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Our tourism target for this year was 4 million, but nearly 3.5 million visitors have already arrived. At this rate, it will surpass 4 million and reach 5 million. For tourism to benefit local commercial districts and Busan citizens, we needed to shift tourist traffic from Haeundae to the original downtown area, and where Bukang-i appeared is precisely that original downtown. As of yesterday (October 12), visitor numbers exceeded 1.4 million. In less than a month, 1.4 million people visited. As such, Bukang-i is truly demonstrating its symbolic role as Busan's blessing. Coffee shops and businesses around Busan have recently enjoyed a massive boom.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: So conditions have improved even further.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: It has gained immense momentum.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Why do you think the public is so fascinated by Bukang-i?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Normally, people can hardly imagine a large shark appearing in an urban park. At first, they are surprised, and it feels truly extraordinary. It is genuinely very large—measuring over 3 meters. Seeing such a creature swim around is both astonishing and wondrous. Looking at this from a humanities perspective, people who show interest are tied to their jobs, schools, and social systems. Bukang-i, on the other hand, is a wild animal enjoying absolute freedom. I interpret it as people who are bound expressing their unutterable longing for total freedom through Bukang-i.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Mayor, do you also plan to turn the North Port area into a tourist attraction and hot spot with the Opera House after Bukang-i departs?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Yes, absolutely. This is the space where the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will be relocated. The new government building for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will be built next to the waterfront park, and public institutions affiliated with the ministry will also move in. Construction of the Busan Opera House, boasting Korea's finest acoustics and facilities, will finish late this year (2026). A dome arena is also planned around this landmark. While this site is essentially a landmark representing Busan, promoting it had previously proven difficult. Then Bukang-i arrived and delivered promotional value worth hundreds of billions, even trillions of won. We must build it into the heart of maritime affairs, and that is currently taking place.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Yesterday (October 12), Bukang-i was also brought up in the parliamentary audit's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans, and Fisheries Committee. Why isn't it leaving, and why does it keep staying?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Perhaps it intends to leave after raking in around 2 million tourists. It brings hope and warmth to our citizens. Wild animals like Bukang-i do not appear only in Busan; according to the news, they appear in various places. The reason Bukang-i attracts nationwide attention is that Busan has the sea, rivers, and an urban national park—an exceptionally fine natural environment. When wild animals appear, citizens give them affectionate names and express deep care and love. The warm affection unique to Busan citizens, the welcoming local culture, their love for animals, and the pristine natural setting all blend together. While wild animals appear elsewhere too, Bukang-i's special popularity in Busan stems from that combination with our citizens' unique friendliness. Recently, an otter has also appeared in Oncheoncheon stream. It was named Oncheoni. This shows the warm affection of Busan citizens. Even during the Korean War, Busan embraced all refugees, whether from Hamgyong Province or Pyongyang. Busan has always been an inclusive and open city. We embraced Bukang-i, and we embraced Oncheoni, the otter of Oncheoncheon. Combined with this warmth, it has become an animal star that enjoys nationwide fame. That is how everyone understands it.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Let's touch on another topic. The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is underway right now. I heard that BIFF has been recognized as an A-list film festival this year, standing alongside Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. What does this signify?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Busan is changing dynamically. The PanStar Acro broke ice and returned safely to Busan Port; Bukang-i appeared and captured national and global attention; and the Busan International Film Festival is in its 31st year. Having gained international and global recognition over the past 30 years, it was selected as an A-list film festival by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). This means it stands on virtually equal footing with the world's top three film festivals: Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. Consequently, the film that wins the grand prize in the Busan Award category at this year's festival is automatically submitted as a candidate for the US Academy Awards. It cannot normally enter that easily, but winning the Busan Award at BIFF grants automatic entry into the Academy Awards for Best Feature Film. It is evaluated as having reached a stage capable of matching or surpassing Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. More than 50,000 visitors attended in just five days, and it continues to break last year's records.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Mayor, the film 'The Assassin(s)' is stirring controversy in political circles right now. It was reported that its actors canceled their stage greeting schedule. As the mayor of Busan, how do you view this situation?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: What I believe politics should do is revive and nurture everything. Whether it is reviving the economy, supporting film, invigorating local mom-and-pop commercial districts, or upholding human dignity, the true duty of politics is to nurture and revive. Yet the politics currently taking place in Yeouido is entirely about killing. Regardless of whether something is judged as good or bad, they just kill everything. They are killing cinema as well. In the case of 'The Assassin(s),' I heard the production company canceled the event due to actor safety concerns and related issues. Regardless, the guiding spirit should be to revive, but right now, they are destroying. At a time when BIFF has attained A-list status and tremendous things are happening, consider when BIFF faced its greatest crisis: was it during the Lee Myung-bak administration or the Park Geun-hye administration? It was the film 'Diving Bell.' State power and political forces interfered in culture and the arts by blocking its screening, and BIFF was devastated back then. It took years to restore its budget and rebuild its standing. That is why I plead: let the political sphere engage in work that revives. Please stop destroying. Revive films and boost the morale of actors. Having served in Yeouido myself, I truly hope our politics moves toward reviving and nurturing everything.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: Mayor, we have 20 seconds left. Lastly, could you say a word to Bukang-i?
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: To our blessing that appeared in Busan: beyond bringing joy to the citizens of Busan, Bukang-i has gifted happiness and delight to countless people. I hope it stays safe and healthy, and eventually returns to where it originally lived. Thank you.
 
▷ [Kim Tae-hyun]: That was Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo.
 
▶ [Jeon Jae-soo]: Thank you.

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