• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.121-149
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• 2006

In recent days North Korean refugees. who hope to move into and settle in South Korea, have been rapidly increasing. However their adaptation to South Korea is reported to have not been so much successful as they expected. Considering such situations, this study attempts to investigate their information needs and behavior. North Korean refugees have various and strong information needs for settlement and daily life. The strongest were information needs related to economic Problem, specifically job and business related information needs. It was followed by information needs related to social welfare, health and security child care and education, and North Korean situation In order to meet their information needs. North Korean refugees were heavily dependent on informal interpersonal information sources such as their family members. friends. and their own neighborhoods. as compared to such formal interpersonal information sources as Public officers. social welfare agents, and NGOs members. Meanwhile. their usage of mass media such as TV. newspapers, and internet as information sources was also heavy However the overall information environment surrounding them appeared to be relatively inferior to that of average South Koreans.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.385-395
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• 2017

This qualitative research is conducted to explore the balancing experience of work and child care of North Korean female defectors. Five of North Korean female defectors from double income family in their 40's were selected and interviewed. The interview data were analyzed by a phenomenological qualitative method. The five categories were derived from the data and included as follows: , , , , . Based on the results of the research the suggestions for practical services, such as parenting education, career path development programs and policies with gender perspective were made. Limitations of the research and further research recommendations were suggested as well.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.189-213
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• 2009

This study aimed to understand the meaning and essence of trauma accidents that North Korean Defectors experienced while escaping from North Korea. We approached with phenomenological method, and the study targets were 7 North Korean Defectors who underwent trauma such as torture, fear, violence, starvation and disease in the course of escaping from North Korea. As a result, we found that the trauma of participants is linked to the present after years while categorizing 6 theme clusters into 'struggle in the border of life and death', and 'difference between being left alive and living'. The image and memory imprinted in the mind of participants from the trauma accident has continued for years and is related with their daily life in South Korea. In this study, we could realize that some elements which had been thought to be negative features of North Korean Defectors are unavoidable extraordinary nature of people who experienced trauma.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 2011

Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the effects of physical illness on depression in North Korean Defectors. Methods: One hundred forty-four North Korean Defectors(20 males, 124 females) and 376 South Koreans 133 males, 243 females) in Incheon Metropolitan areas participated the present study. Face-to-face interview was conducted for demographic information including presence of physical illnesses. To investigate depressive symptoms, all participants were required to complete the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Results: After controlling gender, age, marital status, educational year, employment status and physical illness, North Korean Defectors showed higher CES-D score than South Koreans(${\beta}$=0.449, p<0.001). Within North Korean Defectors, the presence of physical illnesses independently was related to higher CES-D score(${\beta}$=0.243, p<0.001). However, within South Koreans, the presence of physical illnesses did not significantly predict CES-D score. North Korean Defectors with physical illness have higher CES-D score than North Korean Defectors without physical illness($26.8{\pm}13.8$ versus $19.7{\pm}12.7$). However, there was no significant differences of CES-D score between South Koreans with physical illness and South Koreans without physical illness($10.3{\pm}9.8$ versus $9.3{\pm}8.8$). Conclusion: Compared to South Koreans, North Korean Defector showed higher depressive symptoms independently from gender, age, education, employment, marriage. In addition, only North Korean Defectors showed the relationship between depression and physical illness. Our study suggests that depression should be assessed when North Korean Defectors have physical illness.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.120-139
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• 2017

The purpose of this research was to explore life history of an elderly woman who fled from North Korea and to understand and provide interventions for female North Korean Defector. The participant of this research is an 81-year-old woman who escaped from North Korea and has lived in South Korea for over 14 years. This life history study followed the analysis of Mandel baum(1973) pointing three perspectives of life: dimensions, turnings, and adaptations. This study concluded that the participant of the research study had no protection while staying in China and North Korea and had experience of Homo Sacer. And even after arriving to South Korea the participant had to live her life with the past negative experiences in North Korea and China. Based on the research results discussions and implications were suggested.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.770-779
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• 2016

The study aimed to investigate what difficulties and needs North Korean refugee college students have in their college English programs and what they experience over an English tutoring program offered by pre-service English teachers. Before the tutoring started, a survey was conducted to examine the current difficulties and needs 100 NK refugee college students had. After the survey, six NK refugee college students and 12 pre-service English teachers participated in the tutoring on the voluntary basis. The survey questionnaires were analyzed statistically, and the effects of the tutoring program were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that NK refugee students reported the severe difficulties in learning English, their increased awareness of the slightly improved English skills over the tutoring program, the increased awareness of their affects, and the increased awareness of their linguistics development at the end of the tutoring. Pedagogical implications for supporting NK refugee college students are discussed.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-50
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• 2020

This case study explored changes in resilience of North Korean defector adolescents who underwent supportive music psychotherapy that included song discussion and song writing. Participants were three adolescents who escaped from North Korea. Sixty-minute sessions were conducted twice a week over four weeks for a total of seven sessions. The sessions were constructed to enhance hardiness and goal-directedness and used the process of discussing song lyrics, writing original lyrics, and composing music to help the participants strengthen their inner resources and identify healthier and more adaptive strategies for living in South Korea. The resilience scale measured at pre- and post-intervention showed that all participants increased their total scores and subscores related to hardiness and goal-directedness. Also, observation and analysis of their behavior, verbal responses, and lyric writing during the sessions revealed that the participants engaged more in the song-based music therapy process as the sessions went on and also expressed more positive perceptions of their ability to manage challenges and stress. These results indicate that active engagement in decision-making related to creating lyrics and composing music helped the North Korean defector adolescents to perceive themselves as capable of coping with stressful situations and independently solving problems, which are important for enhancing resilience.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.332-338
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• 2016

This study examined the posttraumatic growth of North Korean defectors, the relation between their characteristics and posttraumatic growth and the factors influencing their posttraumatic growth, and explored methods of improving their mental health status. 145 North Korean defectors, who were trained in B city and G city, participated in the survey from February 1 to March 10, 2016. The posttraumatic growth, resilience, self-esteem, deliberate rumination, and impact of the (traumatic) event were measured using the PTGI (Posttraumatic Growth Inventory), RS (Rumination Scale, Resilience Scale), SES (Self-esteem Scale) and ISR (Impact of Event). The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. The mean scores were 29.64 for posttraumatic growth. There were significant positive correlations between posttraumatic growth and resilience and between posttraumatic growth and rumination. The influence of the independent variables on the total posttraumatic growth was examined using regression analysis. Models including the variables (resilience, positive self-esteem, and rumination) explained 54.2% of the variance for the posttraumatic growth. These findings demonstrate that it is essential for nurses to continuously intervene and help North Korean defectors so as to promote their posttraumatic growth and resilience. Furthermore, it is also necessary for nurses to find ways to develop ideal interventions in order to activate deliberate rumination.

• 한국노년학
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.291-308
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors influencing financial preparedness for retirement of the middle-aged North Korean defectors (resettling in South Korea) using concepts of 'financial literacy' and 'financial inclusion'. Those questioned were 100 North Korean defectors of 40-60 years-old residing in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province selected by convenience sampling, one of the non-probability sampling. Path analysis is used as a main analysis method. The results of the study show a direct effect in which increased financial literacy resulted in better financial preparedness for retirement among middle-aged North Korean defectors at a statistically significant level. In addition, by boost-trapping method, financial inclusion has its mediating effect on the relationship between financial literacy and financial preparedness for retirement. However, this study shows that influence of financial literacy on financial preparedness for retirement is different across economic statues. The mediating effect of financial inclusion on the relationship between financial literacy and financial preparedness is statistically significant only for the low-income group. Meanwhile, for the above average income group, financial literacy has a direct effect on the financial preparedness after retirement at a statistically significant level. Based on these results, this study suggests practical and policy implementation such as necessity of customized financial education suited to their economic status, development of financial instruments for retirement, introduction of financial social workers to prepare stable old age of North Korean defectors.