• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.125-138
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• 2019

In this study, we examined how the self-efficacies of North Korean defectors affect their adaptation to South Korean social culture. To this end, 209 North Korean defectors living in Seoul, Incheon, Wonju, or Ansan were surveyed. The results obtained showed shorter residence in South Korea and age were associated with greater fear of South Korean society and awareness of language and cultural differences. On the other hand, age and duration of residence were not found to affect relations between social adaptation and perceptions of low social status, discrimination, or prejudice by defectors, which suggests defectors often live in South Korea for a considerable time without overcoming perceptions of discrimination or prejudice. The factor that most influenced adaptation to social culture was self-efficacy, which affected not only socio-cultural adaptation but also self-sufficiency and the ability to promote oneself, which is essential for economic adaptation in South Korean society.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.343-365
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• 2010

It is a follow-up study on acculturation types and adaptation level to South Korea among North Korean defecting adolescents who participated in the study with the same purpose five years ago(2003). The study of 2003(1st year study) was done with 90 adolescents, out of whom 46 participated in this study(2nd year study). The data from 46 subjects who participated in both 1st and 2nd studies were analyzed. The results on individual acculturation type showed that 40% of the respondents who belonged to 'marginal' or 'separated' types in the 1st study were changed to 'assimilated' or 'integrated' types in the 2nd. Twenty percent changed from 'assimilated' or 'integrated' types in the 1st study to 'marginal' or 'separated' in the 2nd. Furthermore, the higher is the acceptance level of South Korean culture, the lower are their psycho-social problems and the higher is the satisfaction level of daily lives in South Korea. While the higher is the preservation level of North Korean culture, the higher is aggression. Based on the results, the study developed discussion on diverse alternative plans for helping North Korean defecting adolescents in successfully adjusting to the South Korean society.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.14 no.1_spc
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• pp.487-518
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• 2008

The study identifies the major themes for integration education program which enhances the relationship between the north Korean refugees and their south Korean hosts. The themes were selected based on qualitative analysis of the socio-cultural conflicts experienced by the refugees and the hosts in the acculturation process. Twenty-eight north Korean refugees over age 20 participated in semi-structured interviews, and two south Korean groups in close contact with the refugees, police and volunteer teachers, were interviewed in focus groups. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for categorization and coding. The study views the acculturation issue as the two-sided integration task for both the north Korean refugees and the south Korean hosts rather than as the one-sided acceptance and assimilation task for the refugees.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.593-604
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• 2019

This study is a phenomenological study attempted to examine adaptation of North Korean defectors to life in the South Korean society in a comprehensive and in-depth way. Data were collected from July 2016 to June 2017 by conducting interviews with 10 North Korean defectors about their experience in adaptation to life in the South Korean society. The collected data were analyzed by the Colaizzi method. The original data obtained from the participants were structured into 19 themes, 6 theme clusters and 4 category. The 4 category included 'to face the different world', 'lives as a stranger', 'to adapt something', 'to reach self-realization'. The 6 theme clusters included 'encounter with new world', 'psychological pain', 'obstacles of the reality', 'drifting in the South Korean society', 'becoming a member of South Korea' and 'an independent life'. Based on the results of this study, it would be necessary to conduct a repetitive study on the process of adaptation of North Korean defectors to life in the South Korean society, to develop an intervention program to help them adapt to the South Korean society, and to verify the effects of the developed program.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.27-33
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• 2017

The problem of social adaptation of North Korean defectors is becoming increasingly important, as its core significance shifted from welfare to the preparatory stage of United Korea. Hence, this research tries to comprehend the 'factors that enhance their social adaptation'. For this end, by theoretically considering, support resources centered around economic goals did indeed increase the employment rate, but the 'premature social adaptation' did not help them form their own social identity. This led the employment to become another form of social failure and difficulty in social adaptation. Furthermore, by going through interview, the importance of 'social dependence' is emphasized and it was shown that it was 'relationship' that affects both social adaptation and difficulty in social adaptation. Accordingly, this research suggests that it is vital to make a communicative environment in which South and North Korean citizens can freely communicate. This will not only lead to enhancement of social adaptation to South Korean society, unsolvable by economic independence, but it will also lead to more effective 'economic support' policies.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.67-83
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• 2018

This study explores how social media influences individual's social development and well-being. Social media is discussed as an effective tool when individuals lacking social and psychological resources are trying to expand their social networks. This study focuses on the social media use of North Korean defectors, who, in general, have closed social media networks in the South Korean society. This study tries to analyze empirically the effect of social media use on North Korean defectors' satisfaction with our society. In particular, this study focuses on how the use of social media influences satisfaction with their life in South Korea at different levels of their emotional states. This study explores that the relationship between social media and satisfaction with their life in South Korea varies based upon the degree of self-esteem and anxiety. This study expects that social media might provide greater benefits for those who are experiencing low self-esteem and high anxiety. In addition, this study conducts the same analysis for the general public and then compares its results with the survey on North Korean defectors. According to the results of North Korean defectors' survey, the impact of social media use on satisfaction with their life in South Korea was greater for those with high anxiety than for those with low anxiety. Meanwhile, the impact was greater for those with high self-esteem than for those with low self-esteem.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.39
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• pp.29-56
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to find out correlation and predictors of posttraumatic growth of North Korean refugees in South Korea in 7years. This survey was conducted on 105 North Korean refugees in 7 years with questions on depression, anxiety, socio-demographic characteristics, personal & social variables, psychological trauma in North Korea, stress experience in South Korea. The influence of these variables was analysed. Result indicated that education in North Korea and living period in the 3rd country iwas associated with PTG. Date for escaping from North Korea, depression, acculturative stress in South Korea, hope for future, social support from South Korean, perceived satisfaction had correlation with PTG. And Date for escaping from North Korea, living period in the 3rd country, social support from South Korean, acculturative stress in South Korea predicted PTG of North Korean refugees. Finally, social political intervention and mental health service programs for North Korean refugees were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.101-126
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• 2003

The purpose of present study is to investigate what is the most important factor among personality, social relation perception, and cultural influence on North Korean Defectors' self-enhancement bias, and how their self-enhancement bias influences on their psychological adaptation in South Korea. To implement this, we compared the self-enhancement bias of South Korean undergraduates and North Korean Defector undergraduates, and social desirability, too. However, there was no significant result. Based on this outcome, we focused on 121 North Korean Defectors' self-enhancement bias mechanism. We found that personality and social relation perception factors influenced significantly on their self- enhancement bias and furthermore their self-enhancement bias affected on their psychological adaptation. In addition to this, we identified sex difference at this mechanism. That is, women showed the same pattern with the existing findings in the study of self-enhancement bias mechanism, but men showed somewhat different pattern.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.524-530
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• 2017

Unlike in the past, North Korean defectors are not merely satisfied at escaping the regime; they now consider their escape as a form of immigration to pursue a better life. This study examines the adaptation status of North Korean defectors and suggests a plan to cope with the associated challenges accordingly. The current status of North Korean defectors is analyzed based on a literature review and the latest data on their current status, along with their actual adaptation progress to South Korean society and other factors related to the difficulty in their social adjustment. The number of North Korean defectors has increased rapidly since 2000, but the number started to fall in the wake of the inauguration in 2012 of the Kim Jong Eun regime. In addition, North Korean defectors arriving after 1999 are significantly less educated and from lower levels in terms of their occupation and livelihood than those who arrived before. The factors related to North Korean defectors' maladjustment to South Korean society include: difficulties in performing economic activities, differences in the political and economic systems, and cultures, of the two Koreas, and other difficulties stemming from family relations. If the difficulties North Korean defectors experience in adapting to South Korean society are resolved with the support of North Korean defectors and facilities of South Korean society, North Korean defectors will be able to settle down successfully. It is also important for North Korean defectors to strive to adapt to South Korean society by sharing their emotion with the members of society. Therefore, in order for North Korean defectors to adapt smoothly to South Korean society, it is necessary to plan some concrete ways that would reduce social and financial burdens nationwide.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.66
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• pp.147-178
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to clarify the contribution of Christian faith in the process of establishing self-identity and stably settling in the process of North Korean youth settling in Korean society. The research method used narrative. Participants in the study were nine late youth who belonged to the church, aged 17 to 24 years old, who had been in Korea for more than one year. Through this study, themes were derived from four categories. First, a retrospective narrative of the North Korean defection motive was dealt with. Second, it deals with the psychological adaptation process and unsolved tasks. Third, I dealt with the thoughts of the family, the discourse and vision for unification, which they dream of in Korean society as Christian believers. Fourth, it is about the Christian faith, and it is said that the Christian faith gives North Korean refugee youth the power to reflect on their lives, and to see the essence of life through the values of interest in others, history, society, and the kingdom of God. These results are based on the encounters with church and alternative school leaders and various curriculums that North Korean refugee youth experience and talk about. In the sense that it seeks and suggests a new direction in the era of preparation for unification, this article can be said to be of great value for Christian education.