Lost shark becomes viral star in South Korea, boosts sales and named ambassador
A wayward shark has become an unlikely celebrity in South Korea, drawing massive crowds, earning plaudits from the local mayor and even moving the stock market.
A great white shark washed up in a canal in Busan, South Korea, and quickly became a viral sensation. Stranded since September 18, the shark, nicknamed Bukangi, has attracted over half a million visitors in just two weeks. The massive 3.5-meter-long creature, possibly a bull or bronze whaler shark, has drawn crowds to the waterfront park, surpassing the site's usual weekend visitor count of 2,000.
Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo credited the shark for free publicity worth billions. The city named the shark an honorary ambassador, following a social media poll where 91% of participants supported the idea. Shark-shaped ice cream sales and Pinkfong's Baby Shark-related shares soared due to the hype. Despite attempts to guide the shark back to sea with water jets and nets, it has remained stranded.
South Korea has seen its fair share of animal celebrity craze before, including a young wolf that escaped from a zoo last April.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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