Over 100,000 flock to see shark on first day of Chuseok holiday

SEOUL – Over 100,000 people visited a waterfront park in Busan on the first day of South Korea’s Chuseok holiday to see a 3.5m-long shark stranded in an artificial waterway.By 6pm on Sept 24, approximately 93,000 people had visited the North Port Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan, according to Busan Facilities. Due to restricted access from 6pm to 6am for safety reasons, visitor numbers after 6pm were estimated rather than counted directly.Including these visitors, the total for the day was estimated at 102,000, about 50 times the park’s usual holiday attendance of 2,000.The large crowds led the Busan government to issue a safety alert in the afternoon on Sept 24, warning of severe traffic congestion and encouraging visitors to use public transportation instead of driving.The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi”, was first seen in the park’s waterway on Sept 18. Since then, thousands have visited, providing a boost in business for nearby convenience stores and cafes.Authorities plan to monitor the situation through the Chuseok holiday in hopes that Bukangi will leave the waterway on its own. If it remains after the holiday, officials will devise a plan to lure it out of the waterway. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK