South Korean officials struggle to free a shark trapped in Busan canal

South Korean officials are struggling to free a large gray shark trapped for over a month in a canal in BusanByKIM TONG-HYUNG Associated PressOctober 21, 2026, 5:55 AMSEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean officials on Wednesday struggled to free a huge gray shark that has been trapped for more than a month in a canal in the port city of Busan. Officials used a floating platform to herd the 3-meter-long (9.8-foot) female dusky shark, nicknamed Bukangi after the Korean name for Busan’s North Port, through the narrow waterway for hours. But by evening, the animal remained at the mouth of the canal rather than swimming out to open sea.The shark was first spotted in mid-September and became a major tourist attraction as it slowly circled the canal, its fins slicing through the water’s surface. Busan officials, who made Bukangi a city mascot, said the shark attracted more than 1.6 million visitors to the canal. But they struggled for weeks to find a way to guide it back to the open sea. Wednesday’s operation was the third attempt to free Bukangi, following failed efforts on Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 that involved boats spraying streams of water and nets placed across the narrow waterway. The shar...