South Korea’s Viral ‘Bukangi’ Shark Makes a Return to Busan Canal

South Korea has been trying to herd a shark into open sea for hours, only for her to return to a canal in the port city of Busan where she was caught, after a net was laid to catch her.

The 3-meter-long (10-foot) shark, dubbed "Bukangi" (North Port in Busan), has been a viral sensation since she was spotted in the canal late last month, attracting topping 1.6 million visitors, according to Busan Infrastructure Corporation.

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Authorities have so far ⁠made three attempts to encourage her to return to the open sea, ​the latest of which was on Wednesday involving floating platforms, nets, and ​divers. After a month in the canal, Bukangi was safely brought out and re-entering the open sea on Wednesday, the oceans ministry said.

But on Thursday, the ministry said that the ​shark had swum under one of the nets installed in the ​canal to be caught between the outer net and an inner net installed 30 to ‌40 ⁠meters deeper into the waterway.

The outer net has been opened and barriers have been strengthened to prevent the shark from going any further, officials said, hoping the shark would come back out to open water where Bukangi was a greater distance away.

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More attempts to pull Bukangi out to the open sea are not needed because “the shark's condition is stable,” experts said. Authorities will continue to monitor her condition, the ​ministry added.

South Korea's National Institute of Fisheries Science has ​identified Bukangi ⁠as a female dusky shark.

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