What do you miss most about Canada? What do you miss least?
It’s almost a cliché, but I miss the incredible diversity and multiculturalism. I absolutely love Korean people and culture, and living in East Asia is exciting and transformational, but it’s a very homogenous culture. Over 95% of my colleagues were born in South Korea, so it’s a complete 180 relative to living and working in a melting pot like Toronto.
What do I miss least? The taxes! They’re way too high in Canada, even something as enriching as global travel is cost-prohibitive in Canada because of the sky-high airport taxes.
What aspect of Canadian culture do you follow?
I try to keep up on Canadian political and national news, reading the daily papers online. It’s a mixed blessing, though, because while you feel more connected with Canada, you then realize there’s a lot you’re missing out on by living abroad. It's also exciting to read about successes from old Arts friends from Waterloo, such as Jeff Henry's great work as Waterloo City Councilor, or following Ashley Csanady's writing in the National Post.
I also follow Canadian sports very closely – the Leafs have a dynamic young team, so it’s fun to get up early and watch them from abroad. The 2018 Winter Olympics will be in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and my girlfriend and I will attend a dozen events to cheer on Team Canada. I was in Vancouver in 2010, and the Winter Olympics are just a very special moment where I’m especially proud to be Canadian.
Can you share your thoughts about Canada’s 150th anniversary this year? And UWaterloo’s 60th?
I think Canada is the best country in the world, so I have a lot of pride this year and every year, having been blessed to call Canada my home. Having visited over 15 different countries for work, it’s amazing how consistently my colleagues react positively to Canada.
Waterloo also was a special place for me, especially my time as a Residence Don and with the Federation of Students. President Hamdullahpur visits South Korea almost every year, and it’s invigorating to hear how quickly the Arts faculty and campus are changing. I graduated 10 years ago, but it feels like yesterday I attended the Canada Day celebration during Waterloo’s 50th Anniversary!
What does your adopted country do well that Canada or Canadians could learn from?
Korea is well known for its intense work hard/play hard culture, regularly blurring the line between the home and office. To be successful, it’s critical to build genuine interpersonal ties with people outside the office. Getting to know your colleagues in a casual social setting, over delicious BBQ or at the karaoke bar, is important to building strong office networks. I think learning more about our co-workers in such a way can make us more empathetic and understanding, leading to stronger collaboration and productivity. Plus, these nights are a ton of fun!
Kevin Royal holds a BA in Political Science (Arts & Business) and now works with Samsung, Korea, in Global Strategy & Operations, New Mobile Services (FinTech, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things).
