• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.470-483
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• 2018

This study was conducted to analyze the trend of quantitative research regarding female North Korean refugees in order to broaden our understanding of North Korean women and provide directions for future research. In August 2017, the Korean studies Information Service System (KISS) and Nuri Media (DBpia) databases were used to search academic peer reviewed journal articles with the following keywords: "North Korean female", "North Korean female refugees" and "North Korean female defectors". Trend analysis included a content analysis of the study finding section, along with analysis of the general characteristics of the study such as published journals, year of publication, study methodologies, and subject of the study. The main findings are as follows: First, Korean Journal of Woman Psychology was the journal with the most studies on female North Korean refugees. Second, as a result of looking at research trends by year, there was only one study on North Korean female refugees published between 2000 and 2004, and the number started to increase in 2010(8 articles, 22.22%). Third, according to the analysis of research trends by research methods, survey method was most frequently used. Fourth, statistical analysis was most often utilized analysis methodology(34 studies, 94.44%). Fifth, in the content analysis, North Korean female refugees' mental health and emotional issues(17 studies, 47.22%) were the most often the focus of studies being analyzed, followed by social adjustment issues((5 studies, 13.89%). Based on these results, directions for future studies were suggested.

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

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.53
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• pp.79-115
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to understand the women's experiences of negative perception, discrimination and 'ethnicized stigma' in South Korea. For this purpose, data were collected through in-depth interviews from 8 women escaped from North Korea and 4 professionals. The findings of this study are as follows: Almost of them experienced negative perception and discrimination caused by language, pronunciation intonation, and differences of ways to express their emotions. And they experienced the disapproval as the native perception and confusion of ethnic identity. Several participants in this study try to build or organize their communities to give emotional and instrumental support for them. However, in these processes, they experience emotional conflicts and crises feelings of disorganization of their communities because of they didn't have experience to involve communities, and didn't have ideas of membership and their roles. And they were learned to criticize with each other in North Korea. They worry about their families' safety in North Korea. For this reason, they can't have trustful personal relationships among Koreans including people escaped from North Korea in South Korea. They want to participate in Korean's community activities, and learn to adjust to everyday lives in South Korea. In conclusion, based upon the outcomes of this study, it is expected that any practical implications or solutions for North Korean defector's welfare would be suggested.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.772-780
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• 2016

This study examined the politics of representation about North Korean female defectors in general programming channels. In that channel's programs, the women are established as soften private people who got a lift in capitalism aggressively and as disparate subject that have value to be consumed by mass audience. They are caricatured with the testimony and internal competition, be emphasized that heterogeneous object. General programming channels use the women as easy and cheap substitutes for foreigners, also objectifies them to complies with the patriarchal authority. General programming channels are continuously producing a story to deal with North Korean female defectors in disparate subject. In this way, they owns the time and qualification to talk to the women as objects to be displayed, to ensure the media power. Ultimately, the female defectors is only a consumption subject that being sensuously staring, so they remain 'other' instead of 'us'.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.636-652
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• 2018

This study is about applying the concept of moral injury in reinterpreting and understanding the experience of female North Korean refugees who have experienced psychological trauma and are struggling with adjusting in their everyday lives. The database KISS and DBpia were used to search for academic peer-reviewed articles published before August 13th in 2017, using 'female or women North Korean,' 'female or women relocated North Korean,' and 'female or women North Korean defector' as keywords. In total 51 studies were finally selected for content analysis and the result were the following. First, listing from the most often occurring study topic to the least occurring topic in order: post-defection adjustment related, mothering experience, experience of North Korean regime and Korean War, work or job or employment related, recovering from psychological trauma as well as growth and resilience related, experiences in China, trauma and psychological difficulties, anxiety treatment process and effects. Second, words related to psychological aspect of moral injury appeared 260 times in 51 selected studies, changes in the existential belief appeared 82 times, cognitive aspects of moral injury appeared 71 times, and behavioral aspects 21 times. Third, two main contexts emerged to be the antecedent that led to moral injury and they were 'identity denial' and 'dismantled family.' In attempts to find opposite cases or stories where aspects of moral injury were not found despite the existence of its antecedents and it was 'identity restructuring.' Based on the finding, practice implications that could help female North Korean refugees prevent or recover from moral injury were suggested.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.101-113
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• 2018

This study aims to elucidate the major issues and problems of the North Korean woman defectors focusing on the Community settlement system of Korean society in the time of the historical change of the rapidly changing inter - Korean relations starting from the recent summit talks between North and South Korea. Analytical methods were conducted using literature and previous research data. The results of this study are summarized as follows. The necessity of legal and institutional support reflecting the characteristics of life of North Korean woman defectors and experience of defecting, the necessity of development and management of employment education and employment support program for stable settlement support, the necessity of an integrated support system of public - private cooperation governance structure The need for a tailored social adaptation program tailored to individual needs arises. The results of this study are important to suggest the direction of improvement of the actual system through studying the policy and system of the settlement of Korean society in advance of the unification era. In future research, the support system for the settlement of the South Korean society A variety of studies to identify the factors for role formation will be needed.

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

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.165-166
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• 2018

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.311-320
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• 2021

The study looked at a cross section of inter-Korean sports through the lives of female north korean defector. The researcher was a north korean national team player in the early and mid-1990s and defected to the north and played for the national team in South Korea. After her retirement, she became a coach, but felt limited and left the sports world. After analyzing the informant's interviews, the prevailing idea was that she was always politically used, and there was a regret that he was spotlighted as a defector rather than an athletic skill. And she was not in a position to choose between South Korea and North Korea. It was also shown that inter-Korean sports exchanges could not be developed unless economic conditions were supported. As a stranger, the research participants felt alienated and adapted to South Korea. Her life is an example of experiencing inter-Korean sports at the same time, and it is believed that she can have personal, specific, and concrete characteristics while showing universality in the upcoming era of unification.

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