North Korean Refugees Research Articles

북한이탈주민의 자살문제에 관한 연구

This study sought to determine the impact of PTSD experience on the risk of suicide among North Korean defectors, and to compare and verify the differences in the protective role of human support resources by country of origin in this process. For this purpose, data on 410 North Korean defectors living in South Korea were used for analysis. To test the hypothesis, a moderating effect analysis was conducted using SPSS MACRO, and the results are as follows. First, PTSD among North Korean defectors was found to have a positive effect on suicide risk. Second, human support resources from North Korea had no direct effect on suicide risk, but it was confirmed to have a significant moderating effect in the relationship between PTSD and suicide risk. On the other hand, human support resources from South Korea had a direct effect on suicide risk, it was found to have no significant moderating effect. Based on these results, we examined the role of Human resources by country of origin in the problem of suicide among North Korean defectors, and proposed specific intervention measures and practical and policy implications.

A Study on the Experiences of Dropouts among North Korean Defector University Students

A Study on the Experiences of Dropouts among North Korean Defector University Students

북한이탈청소년의 부정적 생애경험이 학교생활 적응에 미치는 영향

This study aimed to investigate the ways in which North Korean refugee studentsstruggle with adapting to school life due to adverse childhood experiences (ACE). For thispurpose, the study surveyed 194 North Korean refugee students regarding their childhoodadverse experiences and three main factors of school maladjustment: task avoidance behavior,lack of school activity participation, and truancy. The results showed that students whoexperienced four or more types of adverse experiences during childhood exhibited higher ratesof school maladjustment in all three areas compared to those with fewer experiences. Additionally, it was found that students born in third countries and older students facedgreater risks in all three sub-factors of school maladjustment. This research provides importantimplications for preventing or reducing the impact of adverse childhood and other traumaticexperiences among North Korean refugee students.

북한의 권력세습과 재연된 후계자 논쟁

North Korea maintains its regime through a three-generation hereditary succession. During the Kim Jong-il era, there was an academic debate over who would become the successor. At that time, Kim Jong-nam and Kim Jong-chul were considered as strong candidates, and Kim Jong-un was not in the spotlight as a potential successor. However, Kim Jong-un is currently ruling North Korea as Kim Jong-il's successor. In November 2022, the succession debate was rekindled when Kim Jong-un publicly introduced his daughter. The renewed debate began with claims that Kim Jong-un's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, had been designated as the successor. The discussions among researchers regarding Kim Ju-ae are inherently exhaustive due to limited information and resources. Therefore, it is important to analyze the implications of Kim Ju-ae's emergence for both South and North Korea, and to consider the future of North Korea under a potential fourth-generation succession. It is likely that Kim Jong-un will implement a fourth-generation succession, and we may continue to face a nuclear-armed North Korea in the future. Thus, the (south korea)government should take action to prevent Kim Jong-un's successor from inheriting nuclear weapons. Additionally, for a research project, it is necessary to discuss the fourth-generation succession and the emergence of Kim Ju-ae based on data obtained from in-depth interviews with North Korean refugees who witnessed her emergence. In conclusion, in the absence of widely accepted information and data, the succession debate is meaningless. At present, it is advisable to focus on the significance of the fourth-generation succession itself, rather than on a specific individual.

Health-Seeking Patterns of Female North Korean Defectors in South Korea for Mental Health: Evidence from Nationwide Health Insurance Data

Health-Seeking Patterns of Female North Korean Defectors in South Korea for Mental Health: Evidence from Nationwide Health Insurance Data

Citizenship Redefined: China’s Hukou System Reform and the Status of North Korean Refugee Women and Their Children in China

Citizenship Redefined: China’s Hukou System Reform and the Status of North Korean Refugee Women and Their Children in China

The Intimate Other: Screening North Korean Defectors in Multicultural South Korea

ABSTRACT This article considers two South Korean films, Wedding Campaign (Hwang, 2005) and Secret Reunion (Jang, 2010), to better understand the evolution of cinematic representations of North Koreans within the context of the multicultural South’s approaches to North Korean arrivals. I focus on how the two films construct North Korean defectors in relation to other ethnic groups. After considering governmental approaches to North Korean defectors and other foreign migrants, I examine how the films are distinguished from both Cold War tropes that present North Koreans as the dangerous Other and the narratives of the Sunshine era that embrace North Koreans based on shared ethnicity. I argue that these films’ depiction of North Koreans in relation to multiculturalism manifests neoliberal nationalism within a highly transnational, multiethnic South Korea, as well as the paradoxical nature of South Korean multiculturalism, which emphasises assimilation rather than cultural difference. Ultimately, these films demonstrate changing narratives of South Korea as a multicultural and globalising nation with an increasing emphasis on the latter.

North Korean Culture and Society in the Works of Blaine Harden, Hyeonseo Lee and Yeonmi Park

The prominent goal of this paper is to examine North Korean culture and society in the select works of Blaine Harden’s Escape from Camp 14, Hyeonseo Lee’s The Girl with Seven Names, and Yeonmi Park’s In Order to Live. The research explores how these works highlight the challenges of escaping tyranny and assimilating into a new culture while offering information on the evolution of culture and identities through cultural study. The personal accounts of North Korean defectors offer priceless insights into life under a repressive system as well as the difficulties experienced by those who manage to flee such inhumane conditions. This evaluates how the protagonists, Yeonmi Park, Hyeonseo Lee, and Shin Dong Hyuk depict the challenges and victories of their journeys. This research reveals the unheard voices and untold tales of the sufferings endured by the brave individuals in a brutal regime, who have crossed borders which serves as a limelight for other nations who are unaware of North Korea.

Societal and community factors facilitating cultural adaptation and mental health of North Korean refugee women in South Korea.

North Korean (NK) refugee women face unique challenges in their acculturation process in South Korea (SK), often leading to higher rates of depression among them. This study uses the Multidimensional Individual Difference Acculturation (MIDA) model to examine the role of societal and local community factors in facilitating cultural adaptation and influencing mental health issues, such as depression, among NK refugee women. The study focuses on three predictors from the MIDA model: out-group social support, attachment to NK culture, and daily life experience of discrimination. Data from a sample of 212 NK refugee women in SK were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings highlight the crucial role of the social and community environment in attaining a balance between embracing a new culture and preserving one's connection to one's heritage culture. This balance is essential for promoting stable cultural adaptation, sound mental health, and overall well-being, so as to reduce the incidence of depression among NK refugee women. Based on the results, specific intervention strategies are proposed to support the acculturation journey of NK refugee women in SK.

374. Connectome-Based Prediction of PTSD Symptoms and Disturbances of Self-Organization in North Korean Refugees

374. Connectome-Based Prediction of PTSD Symptoms and Disturbances of Self-Organization in North Korean Refugees

북한이탈주민의 마약류 범죄실태와 대책 : 마약류 예방교육을 중심으로

북한이탈주민의 마약류 범죄실태와 대책 : 마약류 예방교육을 중심으로

Factors influencing children's emotional and behavioral problems perceived by North Korean refugee mothers: a descriptive study.

The study investigated the relationships between key variables, including the level of parenting knowledge, acculturative stress, depression, and the strengths and difficulties associated with their children's emotions and behavior, among North Korean refugee mothers who faced the challenging task of adapting to Korean society while raising their children. A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected from 130 North Korean refugee mothers between September and November 2023. The participants had very limited parenting knowledge, and 82.3% of them scored 21 or higher on the depression scale used in community epidemiological studies. Higher levels of parenting knowledge and lower levels of depression were associated with lower levels of acculturative stress. Moreover, higher levels of depression were associated with more emotional and behavioral difficulties in children. Maternal depression, age, and employment status were identified as factors that influenced emotional and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children. These findings underscore the importance of providing parent education and mental health support programs for North Korean refugee families in order to improve parents' parenting skills and emotional well-being.

북한이탈주민의 양육행동에 대한 연구동향:주제범위 문헌고찰

북한이탈주민의 양육행동에 대한 연구동향:주제범위 문헌고찰

Leisure under Totalitarian Regimes: A Life Story of a North Korean Adolescent Defector

The objective of this study was to investigate the leisure of an adolescent North Korean defector and how the context of historical and geopolitical events taking place in his country shaped his leisure experiences. Data were obtained using a life history method by employing in-depth interviews and an analysis of his YouTube videos. The findings revealed that extracurricular activities in North Korea were delivered and controlled by the state and geared toward maintaining control of the population. The defector and other adolescents were encouraged to develop a religious-like worship of the Kim dynasty. Under the guise of providing “entertainment,” state-run television and radio engaged in ideological indoctrination. The defector’s life was controlled through censorship, outlawing foreign media content, restrictions on mobility, and suppressing sensuality and physical desires. The defector participated in acts of resistance by watching illegal movies, listening to forbidden music, and making small changes to his appearance.

Sexual Knowledge, Sexual Attitudes, and the Need for Sex Education Among Adolescent Defectors From North Korea.

Adolescent North Korean defectors are vulnerable due to harmful environments during defection, limited access to sex education in North Korea, and exposure to different sexual norms in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual knowledge, attitudes, and sex education needs of North Korean refugee adolescents. A cross-sectional, descriptive survey was administered to 102 North Korean refugee adolescents. The correct answer rate for questions on genital anatomy, physiology, masturbation, and contraception was less than 20%. The participants exhibited conservative attitudes toward female contraception, masturbation, and having friends of the opposite sex. A significant positive correlation was found between knowledge and the need for sex education. These results highlight the importance of tailored sex education in providing accurate information, improving sexual knowledge, fostering positive attitudes, and enabling healthy behaviors among adolescent North Korean defectors.

제3국 출생 탈북민 자녀들의 영어 학습 동기: 회고적 모티그래프와 면담을 통한 사례연구

This research aims to explore the factors that influence the motivation and demotivation
 of third-country-born North Korean defectors in their English learning experiences, both before
 and after settling in South Korea. Motigraph and semi-structured interviews were conducted
 with two third-country-born North Korean defectors, and the transcribed interviews were
 analyzed based on Grounded theory. Overall, motivation to learn English significantly
 increased after settlement in South Korea. Prior to settlement, factors such as accessible or
 easy English classes and the aspiration to enter middle school positively impacted motivation,
 whereas memorization-oriented teaching methods decreased English learning motivation.
 Post-settlement, specific learning goals such as employment or university entrance, teacher
 encouragement, and comparison with South Korean students, emerged as motivating factors.
 However, challenges such as learning English grammar and difficulties with English language
 acquisition in a Korean-speaking environment made learning English difficult. Finally, we
 discussed strategies to assist third-country-born North Korean defectors in adapting to English
 education after settling in South Korea, focusing on practical and educational support.

Eurasian Characteristics and Acculturation Reflected in the Artistic World of Han Jin, a North Korean Defector and Refugee

Eurasian Characteristics and Acculturation Reflected in the Artistic World of Han Jin, a North Korean Defector and Refugee

북한이탈대학생 대학입시특별전형에 관한 쟁점과 개선방안 연구

This study analyzed the collegiate experiences of North Korean defector students admitted via special admissions, scrutinized the challenges of this system, and proposed enhancements. Employing a qualitative case study approach, it involved 10 defector students and 6 experts, including professors and field specialists, totaling 16 participants. Data from Focus Group Interviews (FGI) highlighted six themes across two categories about the special admissions process challenges. The first category showed the positive impact of special admissions, such as facilitating university entry for defectors, enhancing their social capital, and aiding integration into Korean society. The second category focused on challenges like academic gaps, anxiety over their special admission status, and career choice difficulties. These findings, compared with previous research, underscored three main issues with the special admissions system. The study suggests improvements to better support North Korean defector students.

North Korean Refugee Narratives and the Representation of Christianity in the Work of Korean-American Writers Helie Lee and Krys Lee.

North Korean Refugee Narratives and the Representation of Christianity in the Work of Korean-American Writers Helie Lee and Krys Lee.

여성 북한이탈주민의 성범죄 취약성이 성폭력 범죄피해두려움에 미치는 영향

Recently, crimes targeting socially vulnerable people are constantly occurring. In particular, although women and North Korean defectors are targets that our society must move forward with, crimes against them continue to occur. Research on North Korean defectors' fear of being victimized by crime is continuously conducted, but research on North Korean defectors' fear of being victimized by sexual violence against women is limited. Accordingly, this study sought to study the fear of crime victimization among North Korean defectors in relation to sexual violence crimes against women. Accordingly, to achieve the purpose of this study, an online and offline survey was conducted targeting female North Korean defectors. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the vulnerability of North Korean defector women to sexual crimes affects their fear of being victims of sexual violence crimes, and that their adaptation to Korean society also affects their fear of being victims of sexual violence crimes. In addition, as a result of analyzing the moderating effect that adaptation to Korean society, which is the main purpose of this study, has on vulnerability to sexual crime and fear of sexual violence crime victimization, vulnerability to sexual crime and adaptation to Korean society were confirmed to be statistically significant results in fear of sexual violence crime victimization. It was confirmed that the more North Korean defector women perceived themselves as vulnerable to sexual crimes, the more they had a higher fear of being victimized by sexual violence crimes, despite their high level of adaptation to Korean society. Therefore, this study sought to construct a basic data base for security policy regarding sexual violence crimes targeting female North Korean defectors.