• 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.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2015

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.241-261
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• 2022

The present study aims to investigate the effects of information poverty on North Korean refugees' social adaptation to South Korea based on Chatman's Theory of Information Poverty (1996). Based on the Theory of Information Poverty, information poverty consists of four variables: Secrecy, Deception, Risk-taking, and information acceptance in response to situational relevance. And based on the previous studies, adaptation to South Korean life is divided into social adaptation and psychological adaptation. From August 4 to August 30, 2021, after approval by the IRB through the North Korean refugee support organization , surveys were conducted with North Korean refugees who had lived in South Korea for at least one year and were aged 19 or older. The 100 collected valid data were analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings of the study indicated that information poverty had significant effects on North Korean refugees' social and psychological adaptation. In particular, the "deception" variable had negative effects on social and psychological adaptation. The study has theoretical implications that it explains North Korean refugees' adaptation to South Korea based on Theory of Information Poverty by defining them as information poor. Above all, it attempts a quantitative approach through operationalization of key concepts unlike previous studies that were conducted with qualitative approaches.

• 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 Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.73-86
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• 2020

This study examines the North Korean defectors' economic and psychological adjustment status in South Korean society focusing on the specificity of North Korean defectors with the social integration perspective. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 225 North Korean defectors in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do and conducted analysis using the SPSS 22.0 program. The results of the study are as follows. First, the economic adaptation of North Korean defectors was evaluated to be generally low. Second, North Korean refugees' psychological and social adjustment status is generally lower than average, especially cultural adaptation stress, friendship, and satisfaction with physical and mental health. Third, the psychological and cultural adaptation strategy and social support of defectors affected the life satisfaction positively and the adaptation stress had significant negative impact on life satisfaction. Therefore, strategies which reducing adaptive stress and enhancing psychological and cultural adaptation strategies are needed to be implemented in South Korean society. Based on results, policy alternatives 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.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.47
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• pp.243-271
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• 2001

This study examines family relationship among North Korean migrant families in early adaptation (approximately, up to $5{\sim}6$ years after arrival in the South). Family cohesion, communication, power relationship, and conflicts and domestic violence among family members were examined by the perceptions of 67 male and female householders and their spouses. In the four areas of family relationship, the subjects have quite positive perceptions and shows no critically significant difference on the perceptions between before and after arrival. However, positive perception on family relationship gradually decreases as the length of time of in the South increases with linear or nonlinear patterns according to subcategories of family relationship. These findings suggest several social work practice implications in resettlement assistance for the North Korean migrant families.

• 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.

• 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.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.81-101
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• 2024

This paper examines the complexities and creative opportunities brought about by the transnational circulation of texts specifically in the areas of transmission, consumption, and adaptation. The circulation of texts and along with it creative elements such as generic forms, tropes, and frameworks for consumption form an integral part in the production and advancement of any form of popular culture. In the process of such circulation, adaptation becomes a form of social and political process necessary for domestic palatability. In this paper, I examine how these complexities can be illustrated in the circulation of one emerging popular form in East and Southeast Asia: Boys Love (BL) television and web series. Using the transnational movement of the BL genre from South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines, I examine how the circulation and adaptations are inflected by considerations related to regional geopolitics and domestic issues concerned with the creative praxis of representing gender and sexuality.