Meet Bukangi, the North Port shark behind Busan’s unexpected Chuseok crowd—and find the walking route from the station.
Busan had an unexpected main character this Chuseok: a shark in a waterfront park. Within days, it had a nickname, a browser game and people suggesting it throw the first pitch at a baseball match. Meet Bukangi (부캉이), the North Port visitor that turned a harbour stroll into one of the city’s most talked-about holiday outings.
For travellers, there is a practical reason to pay attention: North Port Waterfront Park is connected to the harbour side of Busan Station. If you already have a little breathing room around your KTX journey, it is a waterfront detour worth considering.
How one shark became “Bukangi”
The shark was first seen in the North Port waterway on 18 September 2026. The nickname plays on Bukhang, Korean for North Port. As people shared sightings, the story acquired the ingredients of a very local internet obsession: a memorable name, a recognisable fin and plenty of room for jokes. Local newspaper Kookje Shinmun’s reporting traces the nickname and the growing crowds.
Watch Bukangi at North Port
Or play the video here
How many people visited over Chuseok?
About 320,000 park visits were reported across 24–26 September. Yonhap’s 26 September evening report, citing Busan Infrastructure Corporation, gave this breakdown:
| Date | Reported park visits |
|---|---|
| 24 September | 101,000 |
| 25 September — Chuseok Day | 136,000 |
| 26 September, by 18:00 | 83,000 |
| Three-day total | 320,000 |
Earlier headlines used different cut-off times and sometimes counted visits from before Chuseok. That is why a “320,000” headline from earlier in the day may describe a different period. The dated table above keeps the comparison consistent.
Watch the early-morning holiday crowds
Or play the video here
The moments that made people smile
A shark with a potential new job
Busan’s social channels invited people to weigh in on Bukangi becoming an honorary city ambassador. According to Kookje’s account of the online response, commenters suggested local sightseeing stops, a Lotte Giants appearance and even a ceremonial first pitch. Others wanted Bukangi to team up with the city’s seagull character, Boogi. The shark had barely arrived and people were already organising its itinerary.
Boogi joined the joke
Segye Ilbo reported playful exchanges around the city’s Instagram posts, including Boogi joking about the new arrival threatening its job. Commenters imagined a wider group of Busan characters hanging out together. A very Busan mascot crossover, improvised in the comments.
Someone made a “help Bukangi get home” game
The fan-made Bukangi’s Way Home turns the story into a small browser game about avoiding obstacles and finding a way back. Its creator’s Version 3 note says the attention prompted a decision to show information about missing children after games. It is a thoughtful extension of the idea of getting home.
Even the coffee break got a shark pun
Ediya’s nearby branch became part of the joke when the company called it its “Jaws” branch in an Instagram promotion, as Hankyoreh reported. If you stop for coffee, search under the branch’s usual name: Ediya Coffee Busan North Port Waterfront Park branch.
What did visitors enjoy?
The warmth of the response comes through in Yonhap’s rainy-morning report on 26 September: visitors waited under umbrellas, reacted when the fin appeared and chatted with strangers about where they could see it. Some described the moment as comforting. That is a more interesting detail than another big crowd figure—the brief shared excitement of noticing something unexpected together.
Busan Station to North Port: the walking route
The useful distinction is Metro Exit 6 versus railway-station Exit 9. They belong to different parts of Busan Station. The city’s published park directions use Metro Line 1 Exit 6, then Exit 9 from the railway station’s second-floor concourse.
↓ Both routes meet here
↓ Follow the pedestrian connection
Open North Port Waterfront Park in Google Maps. Save the Korean name, 북항친수공원, for local map searches. With luggage or a pushchair, follow lift signs and give yourself extra time for the station connection.
Our suggestion is to leave roughly an hour for an unhurried park detour, with a separate buffer before your train. On a crowded holiday, skipping the detour is better than turning your KTX departure into a sprint.
A good stop near the station—with room for the shark to leave
North Port works best as an addition to a station-area afternoon: a waterfront walk, a coffee, then a meal around Busan Station or Choryang. Our Busan Station and Nampo gukbap guide can help with the food part, while the Seoul–Busan KTX guide covers the onward journey.
During the holiday response, authorities reported waterway-side access restrictions from 18:00 until 06:00 and plans to review assistance if the shark remained after the holiday. See the 23 September safety-management report. Follow barriers and staff instructions, stay back from the railing, and do not feed or try to attract the shark.
The nicest ending to the Bukangi story would be a safe return to the sea. The park will still be there for a harbour walk—and Busan will still have a very good story to tell.