About 93,000 people had visited North Port Waterfront Park in Dong-gu by 6 p.m. Sept. 24, Korea Times reported.
Because access to the park was restricted from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for safety reasons, attendance during those hours was estimated rather than directly counted.
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A photo shared by Busan Tourism Organization shows a 3.5-meter-long shark in the waters of North Port Waterfront Park in Dong District, Busan, on Sept. 23. |
The park drew an estimated 102,000 people in total that day, about 50 times its usual holiday attendance of 2,000, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
The crowds prompted the Busan government to issue a safety alert on the afternoon of Sept. 24, warning of severe traffic congestion and urging visitors to use public transportation instead of driving.
The shark, nicknamed “Bukangi,” was first spotted in the park’s waterway on Sept. 18.
Thousands of people have since flocked to the site, boosting business at nearby convenience stores and cafes.
Authorities plan to monitor the situation throughout the four-day Chuseok holiday, hoping Bukangi will leave the waterway on its own. If it remains there after the holiday, officials will devise a plan to lure it out.