A Tale of Forty Turtles – Ganseo Park

Programmer, Husband, Father and Turtle Owner

Some of us may have big families, but the sheer size of Samsung Smart Factory Group software developer Ganseo Park’s clan will likely leave you shell-shocked. That’s because, in addition to raising their own children, Park and his wife are the proud owners of an aquarium café that’s home to over 40 beloved turtles. The story of how Park came to care for his turtley unique family tortoise a great deal about balancing work and life effectively.

Amniote Ambitions

Ganseo Park’s terrapin tale began whilst on a trip to the Maldives with his wife. Whilst snorkeling, they were instantly captivated by the finesse and dexterity of the sea turtles they witnessed, motivating the pair to take up scuba diving in order to fully take in the whole gamut of treasures under the sea.

Upon their return to Korea, Park and his wife came to discuss what pet they could get as testament to their maritime explorations. Park was particularly keen on having a saltwater fish, but his wife was against the idea; “My wife had a traumatic experience as a girl when her dog died,” notes Park, “so she was adamant that we wouldn’t have any pets with short lifespans.”

It was then by chance that Park stumbled across the perfect compromise to both his burgeoning zoological interests and his wife’s preferences. Whilst performing a routine supermarket shop, Park came across a pet section – which was selling turtles. Park brought home three baby turtles that day, and a passion for caring for these extraordinary creatures was born.

Donatello, one of the original three turtles taken in by Park

Ideal Family Conditions

So it came to pass that, seven years ago, the Park family grew by three. But it didn’t stop there. The Park family continued to expand their reptilian collection and, a year later, witnessed their first hatching.

The Park family welcomed their first three baby turtles in the spring of 2012

The commitment required to care for these animals is substantial, especially during their earliest days. Park has become well versed in the hatching habits of his turtles; “When the eggs are ready to hatch, their surface becomes moist. Then the hatchlings break the shells open with a temporary egg-tooth called a caruncle. When this begins, I need to move the eggs to the incubator and check on them every two hours.” His incubation method has taken the form of an ice box, a wine cooler, and a refrigerator, and the ingenuity shown is a testament to Park’s passion and initiative in developing his home terrarium.

Park’s homemade incubator has helped many baby turtles through the journey from egg to the outside world

Given the success Park had in hatching and raising turtles, the family eventually ran out of space to safely house them all, which led to Park and his wife opening an aquarium café. Nowadays, the Park family boasts has over 40 turtle members, and with 10 eggs about to hatch, this number is only set to grow.

Performing with Reptilian Dexterity

Raising his children, performing well at his job and looking after his turtles require a life balance that is finely tuned to perfection. Through his passion, dedication and organization, Park always manages to ensure he has enough time allocated in his day for his family – both human and reptilian. Park takes his daily scheduling so seriously that, for the past 11 years, he has managed his time in increments using spreadsheets to ensure he makes the most out of each day, keeps to all deadlines and, most importantly, achieves the perfect balance of being an effective engineer as well as a turtle custodian and father.

The Park family aquarium café. Park looks after his children in the evenings whilst his wife is busy with the café

Park has also learnt a lot from his 7-year turtle endeavors; “From my experience with turtles, especially in learning to spot what these wordless creatures need, I think I have learnt how to pay more attention to what people are going through and to communicate more in trying to help them through situations.”

Park and his turtles

Park’s mentor Taeyang Yoon, SVP and Head of the Memory Technology Innovation Team at Samsung Electronics, is the one who inspired him to stay motivated in order to make the very most of both his work and leisure time.

“The way you manage your time has an effect on the people around you,” notes Yoon. “I believe stress comes from spending too much energy on one single element of life. We need to do our tasks efficiently and then give ourselves time away. That is why Park can care for his turtles; it is what all of us really need to be doing.”

Ganseo Park (right) and his mentor and previous team leader, Taeyang Yoon (left)

It is clear that what Park starts, he goes after with enviable drive—whether it be achieving his goal of being a skilled programmer in Samsung Electronics’ Smart Factory Group, looking after his turtles, raising his sons or being a good husband. Given his success in all areas of his life, it is clear we can all learning something from Park about making the very most of our time and pursuing our interests—reptilian or otherwise—productively.