Even though I thought my chances of winning were slim and even though I did not have any academic motivation to write an essay, I felt a spiritual and nationalistic obligation to write an essay.
As a busy full-time employee without any connections to Korean interests, I spent most of my time after work researching and formulating my essay.

As a person who has been out of touch with college-style essay writing, the amount of time it took to regain and remember those skills I learned in college was by no means quick.
After over two weeks of researching and brainstorming, it took over a week to write the essay. Five pages might not seem a lot but the amount of information and my interpretations I had to condense in that short space meant that I had to be concise.

Regarding the Dokdo issue, there was a lot of information I was familiar with but there was also a lot of information that was brand new. After several attempts to edit my paper, I decided on a final draft and submitted my essay along with my bibliography.

Even after completing my essay, the question of whether it was necessary for me to write such an essay always came to my mind. I understood that students would write an essay for the chance to improve their academic profile and resumes but as a full-time employee with no academic status, I can only say that my motivation to write an essay about Dokdo was for spiritual reasons and my love for Korea.