Blurred Lines
Redefining Work and Family in the Global Era
Photo by Eun-heui Yim / SAIT Journailsm
Two Clocks, One City
In one city, two different clocks are ticking. One follows the bright daylight of the Canadian Rockies, while the other syncs with the bustling daytime of Seoul, 8,000 kilometres away.
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Here in Calgary, two Korean fathers are navigating this disconnect. They share the same city, physically living in Alberta, but their professional lives exist in different dimensions. One commutes to a downtown office tower, bridging two corporate cultures. The other wakes up at sunset, bridging two time zones.
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For these men, the traditional boundaries of work and home have dissolved. They are pioneers of a modern lifestyle where geography is no longer destiny. Despite their different rhythms, their destination is the same: a better life for their families.
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The Bridge Builder
Crossing the Ocean, Not the Time Zone
Every morning, Youngjun Jo joins the flow of commuters heading into downtown Calgary. The city is waking up, coffee shops are buzzing, and the C-Train is packed with professionals. As a team leader at Harvest Operations Corp., a subsidiary of the Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), his job is to manage the company's Canadian assets.
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He was physically dispatched from the headquarters in Ulsan to the branch in Calgary. While his location has changed, his connection to Korea remains the core of his work.
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A digital journey mapping the distance between the industrial hub of Ulsan and the oil fields of Alberta, showing the physical path Jo traveled.
"In Korea, I worked in a familiar environment with my native language," Jo explains. "But here, I work with local Canadian staff, so I use English for most of my day. It is a big change."
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This linguistic shift is more than just a change in vocabulary. It represents a daily effort to bridge the gap between the hierarchical intense work culture of Korea and the more egalitarian approach of Canada. Even in this new setting, however, the "Korean style" of working overtime sometimes persists, blurring the line between the laid-back Canadian image and his professional reality.
Finding Peace in Wide Spaces
For Jo, the move was not just about career advancement. It was an escape from the intense competition of his homeland. He contrasts the crowded, high-pressure society of Korea with the vastness of Canada.
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"The greatest advantage here is the environment," he says. "Korea is a small country where people live very close together. Canada offers a much wider environment and a more relaxed lifestyle."
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This shift has had a profound impact on his children. Freed from the rigorous academic race of Korea, they are growing up with more playtime and less stress.
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The lack of extended family in Canada brings its own challenges. There are no grandparents nearby to help with childcare, and navigating a new system alone can be isolating. Yet, Jo notes that this isolation has a silver lining. It has made his immediate family tighter.
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"Because we do not have relatives here, we try to spend more time together." he notes. "It is definitely more family-oriented."
The Night Owl
Living in the Dark, Working in the Light
While Jo is wrapping up his meetings in downtown Calgary, another father is just starting his day in the quiet suburbs.
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Hoseop Noh, a software developer who runs his own development company, lives a life that defies the local sun. He is a digital nomad who chose to settle in Canada, driven by a curiosity about living in a new place and a desire for his child to experience a different culture and English education.
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However, his office remains virtually in Korea. To maintain high productivity and keep his business running smoothly, he chose to continue working remotely. This decision created a unique daily rhythm. He lives in Mountain Time but works in Korea Standard Time.
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"I have dinner around 6 p.m. work from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. the next day." Noh explains. "I go to sleep around 4 a.m. and wake up around 11 a.m.
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The Reward : A Sunny Afternoon
Why endure the night shift? The answer lies in the afternoons.
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Because his workday does not start until the evening, Noh has a privilege that many 9-to-5 fathers envy. He is there when his child comes home from school.
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"When my child comes back from school, I spend some time with her, and then it is soon time for dinner," he says.
Sometimes, the lines blur in heartwarming ways. "When working remotely, my child often comes and knocks on the door," Noh shares with a smile. "I take a moment to give them a hug. Sometimes it can be bothersome, but actually, I really like that aspect."
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He acknowledges the challenges of Canada, the higher cost of living and the long, cold winters. But when the season changes, the sacrifice of the night shift pays off.
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"Summers here are so wonderful. It is great for outdoor activities with my child," he says. "In contrast, Korean summers are too hot, making outdoor activities difficult."
Hoseop Noh and his daughter enjoying a boat ride during a beautiful Calgary summer. These precious daylight hours are what he works through the night to protect. (photo by Hoseop Noh)
Different Paths, Same Destination
Whether commuting to a downtown tower or logging into a server across the Pacific, these two fathers share a common ground. They have traded the familiarity of home for the uncertainty of a new country.
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Both men cite the same primary motivation for leaving their homeland: the intense, often suffocating competition of Korean society. Noh points out that in Korea, children are compared to each other starting from elementary school. "I like that it is not competitive from a young age here," he says.
Jo agrees, valuing the wider environment and relaxed lifestyle that allows his children to just be children.
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For Noh, the memory of his first arrival in Canada is still vivid. "It was so clean, the sky was incredibly blue and high," he recalls. That blue sky symbolizes the freedom they sought.
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When asked about his role as a father, Noh believes it has not changed despite the remote work. "Responsibility," he asserts. "A father has the responsibility to support his family. I also believe we should spend lots of fun time together to create many memories."
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In the quiet suburbs of Calgary, under the same blue sky but on different clocks, these two fathers are building a new definition of home. One works in the sun, the other in the shadow, but both are working to provide a childhood filled with space, peace, and memories.
