A marooned three-metre-long (nine feet) shark in South Korea has drawn more than a million visitors to the coastal city of Busan, boosting local retail sales and triggering a trademark war, as authorities rush to stop opportunistic vendors from cashing in on the viral phenomenon.
The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi” in reference to the park where it has become trapped, has become an internet darling and tourist sensation after non-stop local media coverage about multiple failed efforts to encourage it back into the open ocean.
Busan authorities have moved to capitalise on the frenzy. The city has appointed the shark – which experts believe is a dusky shark – an honorary ambassador, giving it a starring role in local promotional campaigns. Some 1,062,800 people have visited the park to see the shark since September 19, the Busan Infrastructure Corporation said.
Bukangi is the latest example of how wildlife straying into urban environments can become tourist sensations supercharged by the internet, boosting the local economy.