• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.351-374
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• 2022

The purposes of this study include i) to understand the circumstances of exposure to information during foreign refugees' stay in South Korea, ii) to investigate their information needs and the use of information sources, and iii) to propose the change needed in the Korean society, the role of South Korea in the global community, and the service direction of libraries and information professionals. To this end, legally recognized refugees who have stayed in South Korea were recruited for semi-structured in-depth interviews and observations on their perception, situation, and active behavior. The discussions were transcribed for coding. The codes were analyzed by content analysis technics based on relevant previous studies and factors of Dervin's Sense-making theory and Chatman's Information Poverty theory. Based on these analyses, this study proposed strategies for foreign refugees and individuals and public organizations, including libraries and NGOs, from an information service perspective. It is expected that the proposed strategies will supplement related empirical quantitative research and add value to information services for solving information problems.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2023

Refugees who are persecuted can apply for refugee recognition in the Republic of Korea in accordance with the Refugee Convention and the Refugee Act. They can do so either at the port of entry or during their stay in Korea. After undergoing screening, individuals may be recognized and protected under different categories, such as recognized refugees, humanitarian status holders, refugee applicants, and refugees seeking resettlement. Recognized refugees are entitled to the same social benefits and basic livelihood guarantees as Korean nationals. Humanitarian status holders and refugee applicants may receive support such as minimum living expenses, housing facilities, medical care, and education. In the medical field, refugees and their unmarried minor children are eligible for medical support through the "Medical Service Support Project for Marginalized Populations, Including Foreign Workers." This support is in addition to the national healthcare coverage and medical benefits provided by the government. However, there are pressing concerns regarding the inadequate budget allocated to this project and the excessive cost burden placed on participating medical institutions. It is crucial to secure additional funding and implement administrative improvements. Furthermore, it is essential to develop medical support measures that ensure the minimum right to health for individuals who choose not to undergo the refugee recognition process at the port of entry.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.81-100
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• 2017

This study measures the degree of dollarization in North Korea using results from a survey of 231 North Korean refugees. Specifically, we compare foreign currency use of households as both store-of-value substitutes (i.e., asset substitution) and transaction substitutes (i.e., currency substitution) before and after the confiscatory currency reform of 2009. The degree of dollarization has advanced since the currency reform in terms of both asset and currency substitutions. Survey results also indicate that the Chinese yuan is frequently used in the Sino-North Korean border area, whereas the US dollar is predominantly used in non-border areas. Furthermore, foreign currency increasingly serves as a medium of exchange not only for large transactions but also for smaller transactions, such as food purchases.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.169-198
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• 2019

This study focused on the increase in refugee-related discourse in Korean society with the recent inflow of asylum seekers to Jeju Island. The purpose of our study was to understand the trends in public opinion concerning the acceptance of refugees by analyzing the content of refugee-related video commentary on YouTube. Topic modeling was conducted to analyze the main points, context, and ideas in the comments. The results indicated that the media mainly focus on the pros and cons of refugees, restricting the refugee issue to the problem of acceptance with a narrow focus on the case of Jeju Island. Refugee acceptance was treated as overwhelmingly unacceptable in the comments. We found that commenters often used negative discourse in the comments as a device for reproducing and amplifying hate speech.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.147-163
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• 2004

The present research investigated and compared stress coping strategies of North Korean refugees with those of South Koreans in the purpose to predict and prepare psychological conflicts expected to occur during the Korean reunification. Adapted from Han, Hur, Chae, and Kim(2001), North Korean refugees recorded their coping strategies that they would employ in stressful situations varying in term of three aspects of stress causes - 2(locus: internal/external) × 2(stability: temporal/enduring) × 2(context: individual/interpersonal) - and the responses were classified in terms of three dimensions(active/passive, approach/avoidance, cognitive/affective/behavioral). In the temporal stress situations, adaptive North Korean refugees preferred active over passive, approaching over avoiding, and behavioral over cognitive/affective stress coping strategies more than maladaptive North Korean refugees did. Also, in the stressful situations caused by external causes, they were more likely to take active rather than passive, approaching rather than avoiding copying. Although active copying strategies were preferred to passive ones by adaptive North Korean refugees in individual stressful situations, approaching copying strategies were preferred to avoiding ones by them in interpersonal stressful situations. These findings were found to be different from the pattern of South Korean's stress coping strategies in the same situations. In conclusion, the differences were discussed in the view of psychological integration during Korean reunification.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.113-115
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• 2017

A brief analysis of the impact of the UK off Europe paper on both the positive and negative aspects. For example, in the UK after the EU referendum, out of the shackles of the UK's European Union in the short term, away from the impact of refugees. On the contrary, however, it can have a tremendous impact on the UK's foreign trade and financial industry, while the UK's International will be influenced by the West.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.124-131
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• 2013

South Korea is changing into a multi-cultural society, due to an increase in international marriage, foreign workers and transcultural immigration. In addition, the number of North Korean defectors entering South Korea has increased and now, there are approximately 25000. Therefore, this review have focused on a research that pertains to adaptation and mental health concerns of their children. Children who have immigrated themselves or whose parents have immigrated, might experience language barriers, difficulties in school adjustment, identity confusion and mental health problems. However, their academic performance and developmental status are known to be variable and be affected by socioeconomic status and their parents' educational level. Studies that evaluated the psychological problems of North Korean adolescent refugees' indicated the need for interests in both emotional and behavioral problems. The risk factors of North Korean adolescent refugees' mental health are suggested to be past traumatic experiences, long duration of defection and short period of adaptation. When mental health professionals provide assessment and treatment, they should consider the pre- and post-migration experiences & cultural background that affect the illness behaviors and attitudes toward mental illnesses. Lastly, the majority of children with multi-cultural background are still under an adolescent period and we should follow up with long-term perspectives.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.60
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• pp.133-173
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• 2018

This paper analyzes the consistency and the discrepancy between system and practices of the old age pension(Nyunronyungeum) in North Korea. The literature review is conducted to analyze the system. Specifically, the North Korean law and North Korean dictionaries were carefully examined. The interviews with 25 North Korean refugees were conducted to grasp the exact state of the old age pension in North Korea. Major findings are as follows: the consistency between system and practices of the old age pension in North Korea is identified only certain portions of that. Beneficiaries(blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, farmers, soldiers, and employees in foreign-invested enterprises), contribution periods, earning-related schemes, the totalization of periods of coverage(workplace transitions), the absence of double benefits and early retirement pension, and the delivery system around Civic Service offices(Dong offices) are confirmed by complete consistency. Preservation age, variations in the implementation of the pension system by region, and premium of the old age pension are confirmed by partial consistency. The length of service, the labor regulation, lump-sum payment, and double dipping are confirmed by discrepancies. It's important that this study brings about a better understanding the old age pension in North Korea through various original texts of North Korea and interviews with refugees. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the policy production for the age income security system after the unification and to the spread of unification perspectives.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.45
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• pp.153-186
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• 2023

Since the 2000s, Korean society has been transitioning into a multicultural society with a sharp increase in the influx of various non-Koreans including immigrant workers, immigrant spouses, international students, and refugees. As a result, Korea, which had maintained religious peace and coexistence as a multi-religious society, is showing signs of increased risks of social problems such as the surfacing of conflicts between religions. Religion can contribute to the integration and safety of communities in the process of becoming a multicultural society, but at the same time, it requires discussion from an educational perspective because of its ambivalence in potentially causing conflict within communities. Considering that one of the main functions of religion is social integration, religious education is required for the stable settlement of multicultural societies. In recognition of this, discussion regarding a new perspective on religious education is needed to respond to religious diversity and to understand the current society and the means of becoming a global citizen. This new discussion would be a 'general religious education' model that provides an education covering various religious and non-religious worldviews in order to cultivate 'religious literacy.' However, in a multicultural society, while general religious education may be useful in reducing prejudice and discrimination among students in an integrated environment, it should also be recognized that a 'special religious education' would be needed to acknowledge the unique values of each human group. This would be the most effective approach to multiculturalism. Therefore, this study proposes a form of 'cooperative religious education,' which combines general religious education and special religious education as a direction for religious education. In providing readers with background context, this study will review Korean religious policies and religious education, and then present realistic methods that can be implemented in schools.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.29-51
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• 2010

The diversity of Southeast Asia can be also represented at the tremendous number of ethnic groups residing throughout its various regions even beyond national boundaries. What does it mean by the composite of numerous peoples? It has triggered a lot of problems in a nation or overall Southeast Asia. Among them, the most serious one seems to be ethnic conflicts having damaged national integration and caused political, economical, and social instability. In that respect, Karen people have been a minority group situated in the most chronic dispute in Myanmar. Since 1947 some of the Karen equipped with armed forces have been fighting against the military government currently ruling Myanmar. As the result, the refugees over 200,000 population had moved to the mountain camps located at neighboring Thailand, attracting a lot of attention throughout international societies. According to 1931 census by British colonial government, the Karen have the greatest numbers in population as minority and include 16 subgroups including Karenni(Kayah) and Pa-O seemingly excluded from its category in contemporary point of view. It means that Karen people should not be regarded as an ethnic group, and in fact do not show a homogeneous identity under the title of Karen. Given the situation, we need to reconsider the category of Karen. What does the Karen mean in a real sense? Previous studies on the Karen had been performed mainly by anthropologists or missionaries such as Marshall(1922), Hamilton (1976), Hanson Tadaw(1959), Smeaton(1920), Keyes(1979), Hayami (1992; 2004), etc. Most of them examined the Karen as a group and ignored the possibilities of representing the divergent identities vis-à-vis their subgroups. Therefore, they have focused on the myth to convert Karen people to Christianity, although the Christian Karens are less than 20% of total population. As a result, I argue that they would fail to define the real meaning of Karen. It has been caused us to recognize the Karen as a meaningless total entity to be accepted by all means. According to their arguments, the difference among Karen's subgroups is just dealt with the trivial matters that do not affect the ethnic boundary itself, still maintaining the ethnic identity as Karen. As we shall see on this thesis, this is never the case. My thesis aims at uncovering and scrutinizing the real meaning of the category of Karen. For the purpose of it, I will consider Karen people as a linguistic group from the beginning as shown in 1931 census. I argue that the Karen have been affected or exposed by various conditions or environments throughout the harsh history having happened on the areas of current Myanmar and Thailand, leading the vicissitudes of their ethnic identities.