Busan:More than 560,000 people have visited a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan over the past 10 days to catch a glimpse of a 3.5-meter shark trapped in a local canal, authorities said Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the shark, affectionately named Bukang-i, was first spotted on September 18 in a narrow canal at Busan's North Port. Since September 19, the marine animal has attracted 568,800 visitors.

Public interest peaked during the Chuseok holiday, Korea's equivalent of Thanksgiving, with 483,000 visitors flocking to the park in just four days. The daily visitor count during this period was significantly higher, reaching 101,000 on Thursday, 136,000 on Friday, 140,000 on Saturday, and 106,000 on Sunday, compared to the usual average of about 2,000 daily visitors during holidays.

Initially, local maritime police and authorities attempted to drive the shark away from the canal. However, as Bukang-i did not leave, officials decided to suspend their efforts. Authorities planned to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss potential rescue plans for the shark.