I am very excited to have been given an honorable mention at the 5th annual Dokdo history essay competition.

While I am a Korean American, I have felt alienated from my heritage and culture all my life for a variety of reasons.  Living in America and far away from my relatives has given me a very different and limited understanding of what it means to be Korean.

I am grateful that this writing contest has given me the opportunity to further research the significance of Dokdo, something that is obviously a critical piece of the country’s long past yet I did not know very much about, if at all.

It has enhanced and broadened my little knowledge of Korean history, and left me feeling more connected with my family and the country that I am from.

Thank you to KCHEFNE for this valuable opportunity to explore the Dokdo dispute more specifically and for helping to educate others on the importance of it to Korean culture.