Applying to an American University of a South Korean Descent Essay

Applying to an American University of a South Korean Descent - Essay Example My life has not been ordinary, to say the least. As soon as I came of age, I had to serve in the Korean army for 2 years, and for most men my age, that was a time of pride and elation. I, however, felt nothing of the sort. Now, let me clarify, I love my country and there is little I would not do to protect it from external influences, but at that age, when I looked around and saw illiteracy and poverty, I felt that the country's true enemies were not Russia or China, I felt it was illiteracy and lack of education that we should have been fighting against. Needless to say, those 2 years, albeit having taught me a lot, in my eyes were 2 years wasted. I come from a religious family, and ever since I was in middle school I volunteered at the local church and helped in organizing mass and proceedings, and so was directly in touch with priests and hence, felt very, very spiritual from a very young age. In addition, naturally, in church, I met all sorts of different people and I noticed something, most of the people that attended regularly were the ones shabbily dressed, the ones that were from lower class homes, and I felt that they were approaching God as a last hope, as a sort of escape from their miserable realities and once more, I was struck by my country's misfortunes. During this time, I grew more and more pensive and made a decision to travel and see anything other than misery and depression. So I traveled with my family to North Korea, Asia, and America. And the more I traveled, the more confused I became.