Human Ecology Research

The Korean Home Economics Association (대한가정학회)
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The Marital Factors on Social Adaptation among North Korean Refugees

북한이탈주민의 사회적응에 영향을 미치는 부부요인

  • 정윤경 (연세대학교 사회복지대학원) ;
  • 김희진 (명지대학교 방목기초교육대학)
  • Received : 2014.08.11
  • Accepted : 2014.11.04
  • Published : 2015.04.30
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Abstract

This study examined positive and negative marital factors on social adaptation to South Korea among North Korean refugees. In terms of previous studies, family variables play an important role in the adaptation to new society among refugees. We analyzed three major marital factors of marriage background, dyadic adjustment, and marital violence. Marital factors consisted of place of birth, place of marriage, dyadic consensus, dyadic satisfaction, dyadic cohesion, emotional violence, physical violence, and sexual violence. We analyzed the data of 295 North Korean refugees who resided in Seoul, Gyeonggi province and Incheon using snowballing sampling. The result indicated that the refugees married to non-Korean partners (including Korean-Chinese, Chinese, or Russian) are more likely to suffer in social adaptation. Place of marriage (whether the couple got married before escaping, during the escape or after living in South Korea) did not have a significant impact. Dyadic satisfaction was helpful in social adaptation, while sexual violence had a negative effect. The findings of this study suggest alternatives for more successful social adaptation by North Korean refugees to South Korea, a need for more services that target married couples and families rather than individuals, and suggestions for the use of counselors who are also North Korean refugees.

Keywords

References

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