"Guardians Stop Trouble-Makers Shining Lanterns at 'Bukangyi'... Vigilantes Appear at Waterfront Park"

Over 1 Million Visitors to Waterfront Park

Controversy as Some Visitors Shine Lanterns at the Shark

There has been growing attention on a group of people patrolling the Bukhang Waterfront Park artificial canal in Busan to protect the shark known as “Bukangyi,” which has not left the canal. These individuals, including several YouTubers, are known for taking action to prevent some citizens from disturbing Bukangyi at night.

On October 7, videos were uploaded on YouTube and other platforms, showing some YouTubers patrolling the Bukhang Waterfront Park area. At night, they livestream Bukangyi from the waterfront park, and their activities go further—they actively stop visitors who shine strong lights such as flashlights at the water surface toward Bukangyi, essentially taking on the role of nightly patrols.

Bucangi at Bukhang Waterfront Park in Dong-gu, Busan, on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News

One YouTuber posted details about these activities on their channel’s community board, saying, “Around 8:30 p.m., I chased away a troublemaker who was shining a large flashlight at Bukangyi. About 15 people who were enjoying themselves nearby also left the area with him. No one else intervened.”

Indeed, there has been controversy online as some visitors have been seen using flashlights and large lanterns late at night with the intent of spotting Bukangyi.

Those who patrol the area late into the night have earned local nicknames such as “Bukangyi Guardians” and “Bukangyi Vigilantes.”

YouTubers filming scenes patrolling the waterside park area to protect Bukangi. YouTube capture

Meanwhile, Bukangyi was first discovered in the artificial canal of Waterfront Park on September 18. According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science, Bukangyi is a female blacktip shark, approximately three meters in length.

Previously, the Busan Metropolitan Government, in cooperation with relevant agencies, conducted two rescue operations to guide Bukangyi out to the open sea. However, Bukangyi still remains in the canal.

The rescue authorities plan to wait for Bukangyi to leave the canal on her own for the time being, without further intervention. The net installed during the second rescue operation was also removed at around 4:20 p.m. on October 3. As of October 4, the number of visitors who have come to see Bukangyi has exceeded 1 million.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.