▲ Maritime authorities conduct a rescue operation to guide a shark out of a canal to the open sea at a waterfront park in the southeastern city of Busan on Sept. 29, 2026. (Yonhap)

BUSAN, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- Authorities were set to resume a rescue operation Friday to guide a canal-trapped shark to the outer sea of the southeastern city of Busan after a first attempt failed earlier this week.

A joint rescue team involving city and Coast Guard officials is scheduled to begin the operation at 3:30 p.m. using a 50-meter-long, 6.8-meter-high net to draw the shark, "Bukang-i," out of the canal at Busan's North Port.

Two vessels and 10 personnel will be deployed.

One vessel will tow the center of the net, while five people positioned on each side of the channel will pull the net in sync with the shark's speed toward the outside of the artificial waterway.

The other vessel will be fitted with pumps to spray water streams as the shark swims toward the canal's exit.

During the previous attempt Tuesday, authorities spent about five hours trying to guide the shark out using only water streams, without a net, but the animal repeatedly escaped by swimming behind the boats.

Bukang-i -- a combination of Bukhang, or North Port, and the Korean suffix "i" -- had attracted more than 600,000 visitors as of Monday since it was first spotted in the canal on Sept. 18.

With no feeding observed since its appearance, the authorities concluded it was no longer viable to let the animal stay in the canal and held a meeting Monday to discuss rescue plans.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]