Aquariums spend money to get people through the door. In Busan, a shark did the job for free. It swam into a canal at North Port Waterfront Park and stayed.
Over the weekend, about 20,000 people came to look. The city said about 8,800 visited on Saturday, September 19, and about 10,000 on Sunday. That is four to five times the park's usual 2,000 visitors a day.
The shark is about 3.5 meters long. South Korea's fisheries institute has tentatively called it a copper shark, also known as a bronze whaler. Experts say the exact species is not yet confirmed. It was first reported on Friday, September 18, in a channel that connects the park to the sea.
The Korea Coast Guard spent about six hours trying to guide it back to open water, then stopped. Scientists warned that forcing the animal through the narrow canal could make the situation more dangerous. Officials have been watching, and asking people to keep their distance.
The shark did not leave. It kept showing a fin above the water. Crowds took pictures. Online, people gave it nicknames and turned the visit into jokes. A park that was never a famous stop became the place to be that weekend.
Cities often pay for a new attraction. This one wandered in.