In the early morning hours, a man tosses something into the Bukang waterway.

He pays no heed to the warnings of people around him.

What was found at the scene were leftovers of bossam and kimchi stew.

Food waste was dumped right in a waterway frequently visited by Bukang-i.

[Jung Chang-keun, Jung Jun-bin / Yangjeong-dong, Busan: It is a bit regrettable. It has become a mascot of Busan, and I hope people will take care of these things, refrain from littering, and show civic consciousness on their own.]

Blacktip shark species like Bukang-i are known to lower their metabolism while continuing to swim during sleep.

However, as some citizens flashing strong flashlights at night caused abnormal reactions in Bukang-i, a vigilante group even emerged to stop them. During their activities, arguments broke out between citizens, prompting the police to be dispatched.

Since the appearance of Bukang-i, the number of visitors to the Busan North Port Waterfront Park has surpassed 1.3 million.

However, with such a large crowd gathering, various minor and major difficulties in on-site management continue to arise.

Nighttime, in particular, is a blind spot when management personnel are reduced.

Illegal parking and traffic congestion around the North Port area caused by the influx of visitors are also problems.

[Kim Heon-ho / Head of Park Planning Team, Busan Metropolitan City: We lack night staff. We conduct nighttime patrols and provide guidance via banners and broadcasts, but there are limits to relying solely on that.]

Along with the intense interest shown toward Bukang-i, a "blessing" that rolled into the North Port, a mature civic consciousness seems necessary.

Reported by Ha Young-kwang (KNN) | Produced by Lee Seyoung | Video by Park Eun-sung (KNN) | Video Editing by Lee So-min (KNN) | Produced by SBS Digital News