• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.35-58
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to identify the moderating effect of social support between daily life stress and suicidal ideation of North Korean refugee women in South Korea. We survey with self-report questionnaires for 156 refugee women, conduct descriptive and regression analysis. As results, (1) almost half of the surveyed experience suicidal ideation in a year, (2) daily life stress affects suicidal ideation controlling with depression, PTSD, alcohol use, income, and age, (3) social support which North Korea refugee women perceive buffers the relationship between life stress and suicidal ideation. From these results, implications are suggested. Gender cognitive policies are needed in North Korea refugees in South Korea. Also, community mental health services and sustainable community program for North Korea refugee women are important to prevent their suicidal attempts.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.21 no.11
• /
• pp.761-772
• /
• 2021

This study aims to investigate the effect of violence experience and self-esteem experienced in social scenes such as work and school on suicidal thoughts. For this purpose, I used the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family(2017)'s data of the current situation of social violence victims. To this end, descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis were performed. The findings of this study are as follows: The experience of social violence among North Korean refugee women had a positive effect on suicidal thoughts, and self-esteem had a negative effect on suicide-related features. This means that if you have experienced social violence, you are more likely to have suicidal thinking, and the higher your self-esteem is, the less likely your suicidal thinking is. Based upon the results of this study, practical intervention measures were proposed to prevent social violence, and to improve physical/mental health and self-esteem of North Korean refugee women.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.265-268
• /
• 2006

The present authors investigated intestinal parasitic infections among North Korean residents and refugees in China in 2003. The Kato-Katz method was applied to 236 residents and soldiers in a town on the North Korea-China border and to 46 people at a refugee camp in China. Only eggs of Ascaris and Trichuris were detected, with egg positive rates of 41.1 % and 37.6%, respectively. The total egg positive rate was 55.0% and most of those who were egg positive were only lightly infected. Women of 61.2% and men of 53.1 % were egg positive. The refugees from rural areas showed higher egg positive rates than those from urban areas. The present investigation confirmed high prevalence of soil-transmitted intestinal helminths in rural borderline areas of North Korea.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.55-69
• /
• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the female sexual dysfunction of North Korean defector women and to identify related factors. Methods: A total of 110 North Korean defector women who married and lived in South Korean community more than 1 year participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire was used to obtain data. The dependent variable is the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Independent variables were demographic factors (age, education, residential environment, sexual experience(rape), sex knowledge and sex attitude). Data were analyzed using the SPSS for descriptive statistics, t-test, two-way ANOVA, and Multiple Hierarchical Regression. Results: The mean score of sexual function for North Korean defectors was 18.94(SD:5.88). Sexual functioning for North Korean defector women was relatively low, 18.94 in comparison to Rosen's cutoff scores of 26.6. In multiple regression analysis, the sexual function level was significantly higher in elderly, high educational level, stable residential situation, non rape, and conservative sexual attitudes. Conclusions: The results show the status and description of sexual dysfunction in North Korean Women defectors in South Korean community and can be a basic reference for study about sexual dysfunction. However, more study about North Korea Defector Women with sexual dysfunction should be interviewed and evaluated.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.329-338
• /
• 2017

This study aims to examine heterogeneous acculturation patterns of elite North Korean female defectors in South Korea. The study employed a synthetic comparative analysis. A series of in-depth interviews with 5 North Korean female defectors in South Korea were conducted. In addition, the research team implemented 20 open-ended surveys with other defectors. Through this study, we have found various types of cultural adaptation in the group of the elite North Korean women in South Korea. The study findings imply that it is imperative to establish national policies that support different types of North Korean defectors. Putting all North Koreans into one category might result in alienation and discrimination to some groups. Thus how the participants reframed their social identify in South Korea illuminates essential facets of human-right education, especially education for refugees and immigrants in different global and multi-cultural contexts.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.381-393
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to develop an educational program on cervical cancer prevention and human papillomavirus (HPV) for female North Korean refugees and to assess the effect of the program. This study used a nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 42 female North Korean refugees in their 20s residing in South Korea. Measurements included cervical cancer knowledge, HPV knowledge, attitude toward HPV vaccination, and intention for HPV vaccination. Statistically significant differences emerged in levels of cervical cancer knowledge (U = 40.00, p < .001), HPV knowledge (U = 4.50, p < .001), and attitude toward HPV vaccination (U = 128.00, p = .013) between the experimental and control group. The educational program is an effective nursing intervention to improve cervical cancer knowledge, HPV knowledge, and attitude toward HPV vaccination of female North Korean refugees. Stakeholders must work to establish health policies to reduce health disparities between South and North Korean women to prepare for unification.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.117-131
• /
• 2014

This study aims to explore the reexperience of trauma caused by experience of discrimination and stigma from South Korean. For this purpose of this study, focus group interview methods are used. The participants are five women who escaped from North Korea and they were from 20s to 50s. From the outcomes of this study, I find out that they had experienced to put in prison, to let arrest to let human traffic, and sexual or physical assault. Now they have PTSD(Post Trauma Stress Symptom) of nightmare related with past trauma, avoidance of interpersonal relationships and similar situations, and retrospection and memorization of negative experiences. In that situation, they also have experienced discrimination caused by lack of understanding of their suffering in South Korea. And almost of them suffer from poor situation economically and physically. Participants regret their entry to South Korea and perceive that their hope has gone. And they have anger of Korean's discrimination and stigma and they feel suicide impulse after experiencing very difficult situation. These negative experiences affect their PTSD and make reemergence of trauma experience. In conclusion, the outcomes of this study are discussed and I proposed the practical suggestions which have affected decreasing the PTSD.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.325-331
• /
• 2014

Many saeteomins to settle in South Korea, are materially affluent capitalist countries entered South Korea, but they have not been able to adapt so easily the consumer market and economic activity. In particular, development and support training programs for female saeteomins, 69% of total saeteomins are needed. Therefore, we need to support job programs that they settle in Korea normally and can be a reasonable economic activity. But, we need to operate be the group program because only proceed to the general education program is not enough to settle into a stable. In this paper, we would like to propose a group program for job training and a budget for operating the program to easily settle female saeteomins in South Korea.