Chun Jae-soo Says "It's So Cute I Could Die" ... Why Green Party Korea Warns, "This Is No Time to Cheer for 'Bukhang-i'"

[Financial News] As the shark known as 'Bukhang-i,' which appeared at Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan, has become a topic of nationwide interest, calls are growing for its appearance to be viewed as a warning about climate change.

The shark first appeared at Busan's North Port on the 18th and has since attracted more than 30,000 visitors as of the 23rd. On the 22nd, Chun Jae-soo said on the CBS radio program 'Park Jae-hong's Showdown,' "The shark's appearance has turned North Port into a hot spot. This is publicity that even spending trillions of won could not achieve."
He also said, "I feel like buying a whole lot of live rays and squid, which bull sharks are said to like, and scattering them," adding, "I intend to make the most of this once-in-a-century opportunity, if it comes at all, to promote Busan's North Port across Korea and around the world."
However, academics have also urged people not to simply welcome the appearance of 'Bukhang-i.' Their concern is that it is an unmistakable sign of climate change caused by rising sea temperatures around Korea. In a commentary issued on the 22nd titled 'The Shark Came to Warn Us,' Green Party Korea also pointed to the 'Bukhang-i syndrome' and the climate crisis.

Green Party Korea said, "Major media outlets are making a fuss, saying that more than four times the usual number of visitors have flocked to North Port, making it a new 'hot spot,' while some social media users are cheering and calling the shark 'Bukhang-i,' saying, 'A shark aquarium has opened in Busan.'"
It added, "We cannot help but be aghast at sensational reports that The Pinkfong Company, which owns the intellectual property rights to Baby Shark, saw its stock price surge amid the 'shark boom.'" It explained that 'Bukhang-i' appeared because warm-water fish, which are prey for the subtropical bull shark, had migrated northward.

This means that sea temperatures off Busan have risen because of climate change. Green Party Korea said, "The average sea temperature along the Busan coast has risen by approximately 1.2°C since 2000," adding, "Through August 2026, 73 large sharks had been spotted along the east coast, about 2.5 times the 29 recorded during the same period last year."
The problem is that no adequate response to this climate change is being implemented. Green Party Korea criticized the construction of new nuclear and LNG power plants and the passage of amendments to the Carbon Neutrality Act, saying, "Coal, LNG and other fossil-fuel sources still account for 56% of electricity generation, while nuclear power plants, which account for 32% of generation, discharge more than 30 billion tons of heated wastewater into the sea every year."
Green Party Korea emphasized, "Now is not the time to cheer for sharks and enjoy the spectacle. It is time to recognize the seriousness of the situation and begin a fundamental transformation of our lives and systems," adding, "The shark did not come to give us pleasure. Its appearance is a warning to all of us." It concluded, "If we ignore this warning, catastrophe is all that awaits us."
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter