Student builds AI web service to track Busan shark sightings in real time
In short
A shark nicknamed “부캉이” has drawn large crowds to the waterway at Bukhang waterfront park in Busan, with Newsis reporting about 837,800 visitors since September 19 and 72,000 on October 3 alone. A master's student at Pukyong National University built a web service in one day that lets citizens report sightings, with AI screening photos and operators giving final approval. The service, which began operating on September 22, recorded about 20,000 cumulative visits in two weeks.
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A shark nicknamed “부캉이” appeared in the landscape waterway at Bukhang waterfront park in Busan's Dong-gu district, drawing crowds of onlookers. Newsis reported that 72,000 people viewed the shark on October 3, and that cumulative viewing numbers since September 19 reached about 837,800. Asia Economy said the shark appeared on September 18 and that visitors flocked to the waterway. [ 2 , 3 ]
In response, Lee No-a, a master's student in the ICAN programme at Pukyong National University, built the web service “부캉이 지금 있나” in a single day and began operating it on September 22, according to Asia Economy. Users on site press “지금 보여요” or “안 보여요” and may upload photos, with sighting information marked on a map of the park; those who submit photos can receive a verification card. The service recorded about 20,000 cumulative visits within two weeks, the report said. [ 1 , 2 ]
Photos are first screened by AI, which judges whether a shark is actually in the image and whether the photo was taken on site, filtering out images that are not shot at the location. Ambiguous reports are checked and finally approved by an operator, in a structure the report describes as AI first, human final approval. Asia Economy said Lee initially moved sighting posts from the social network Threads onto the map by hand, but changed the service to direct citizen input as reports grew. [ 2 ]
The detection module was changed once: after using a commercial AI tool, which brought cost burdens and intermittent errors, Lee switched to an open-source JEV-style inference structure, which the report said maintained accuracy while raising processing speed more than fivefold. Lee said that moving reports by hand from Threads “한계가 분명했다” and that having citizens report with one button and AI screen photos automatically let information reach the map much faster, adding that what the lab taught about making evidence-based judgments helped when building the service quickly. Choi Seong-cheol, a professor in the lab, said it was meaningful that a student moved problem definition and evaluation design skills learned in the programme into a service citizens actually use, and that the ICAN programme would keep supporting students who solve on-site problems and put results out to society. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The case shows a student research lab turning an AI course project into a public tool within days of a local event, in a programme that has companies pose real problems for students to solve. It also gives Busan officials and residents a real-time way to track a shark in a city waterfront park as visitor numbers run into the hundreds of thousands. The documents do not say whether the shark is still present or how it entered the waterway.
Key facts
- A shark nicknamed “부캉이” appeared in the landscape waterway at Bukhang waterfront park in Busan's Dong-gu district. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Lee No-a, a master's student in the ICAN programme at Pukyong National University, developed the “부캉이 지금 있나” service in one day and began operating it on September 22. [ 2 ]
- Users on site press “지금 보여요” or “안 보여요” and can upload photos, with sightings marked on a map of the park. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Photos are first screened by AI, which checks whether a shark is in the image and whether the photo was taken at the site; ambiguous reports are checked and given final approval by an operator. [ 2 ]
- The service recorded about 20,000 cumulative visits within two weeks of opening. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reported that 72,000 people viewed the shark on October 3, and that cumulative viewing numbers since September 19 reached about 837,800. [ 3 ]
- The developer said the detection module was switched from a commercial AI tool, which carried cost and intermittent errors, to an open-source JEV-style inference structure that kept accuracy while raising processing speed more than fivefold. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the shark is still in the waterway, and how it entered it. Neither document states the animal's current status or how it arrived.
- The cumulative visitor figures of about 837,800 since September 19 and 72,000 on October 3. These numbers come only from Newsis and are not corroborated by another outlet.
- The date the shark first appeared. Asia Economy says it appeared on September 18, while Newsis counts visitors from September 19; the documents do not reconcile the two.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A shark appears in the waterway at Bukhang waterfront park, drawing visitors, according to Asia Economy. [ 2 ]
- Start of the cumulative visitor count that Newsis reports. [ 3 ]
- The “부캉이 지금 있나” service begins operating. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports 72,000 people viewed the shark in a single day. [ 3 ]
- Date of the Newsis photo showing citizens watching the shark in the waterway. [ 3 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the service. [ 2 ]
- Newsis publishes its report with the visitor figures. [ 3 ]