• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.49-58
• /
• 2021

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal trajectories of life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression and to identify the factors that influence these trajectories in North Korean Defectors (NKD). Methods : NKD (n=300) who registered in the multi-regional adaptation center (Hana Center), within three years of settling in South Korea, were recruited into this study. Life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression were assessed with self-report questionnaires over a period of 4 years (7 waves of data). Latent growth modeling was conducted to assess the changes in life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression. Results : Findings from both unconditional and conditional models (with gender, South Korea settlement age, household income, marital status, and PTSD at wave 1) indicated a linear increase in loneliness and depression, and a linear decrease in life satisfaction over the 4-year period. In the conditional model, gender predicted the intercept of life satisfaction and depression. In addition, PTSD predicted the intercept of life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression and slope of depression. Conclusion : Our finding suggests that the mental health of NKD tends to deteriorate over time after settling in South Korea. Therefore, continuous support is necessary for their successful adaptation to the South Korean Society.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.19-31
• /
• 2013

Objectives: Elevated temperatures during summer months have been reported since the early 20th century to be associated with increased daily mortality. However, future death impacts of high temperatures resulting from climate change could be variously estimated in consideration of the future changes in historical temperature-mortality relationships, mortality, and population. This study examined the future death burden of high temperatures resulting from climate change in Seoul over the period of 2001-2040. Methods: We calculated yearly death burden attributable to high temperatures stemming from climate change in Seoul from 2001-2040. These future death burdens from high temperature were computed by multiplying relative risk, temperature, mortality, and population at any future point. To incorporate adaptation, we assumed future changes in temperature-mortality relationships (i.e. threshold temperatures and slopes), which were estimated as short-term temperature effects using a Poisson regression model. Results: The results show that climate change will lead to a substantial increase in summer high temperature-related death burden in the future, even considering adaptation by the population group. The yearly death burden attributable to elevated temperatures ranged from approximately 0.7 deaths per 100,000 people in 2001-2010 to about 1.5 deaths per 100,000 people in Seoul in 2036-2040. Conclusions: This study suggests that adaptation strategies and communication regarding future health risks stemming from climate change are necessary for the public and for the political leadership of South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.340-347
• /
• 2019

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkia) originated from the North America distribute widely as invasive species throughout the world including Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. The red swamp crayfish is also an invasive species in South Korea. We aimed to characterize the occurrence and distribution pattern of the red swamp crayfish, and evaluate the potential distribution of this species in South Korea. In South Korea, the red swamp crayfish was firstly reported in Seoul in 1996, and recently its occurrence is frequently reported at streams or reservoirs at different regions, showing the expansion of its distribution area. The red swamp crayfish has high potential to occur in the nationwide scale in South Korea because of their biological adaptation, effects of climate change, changes of their habitat condition, and various types of human activities. Finally, our results revealed the necessary to conduct an extensive field survey, to keep up a monitoring program for the occurrence of alien species, and to implement a strategy to prevent the dispersal of alien species in the natural ecosystems.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.176-184
• /
• 2020

Purpose: We explored emergency nurses' experiences of coping with moral distress. Methods: A qualitative research design was used. We conducted in-depth interviews with 11 nurses working at a regional emergency medical center in South Korea. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: The main theme of nurses' coping with moral distress was "a passive emotion-based response." We also extracted three categories of coping strategies: "uncritical adaptation to anguished situation," "self-justification for not acting," and "flight from ethical decision making." Conclusion: Nurses coped with moral distress in a passive and emotional way, possibly because of perceived incompetence and compliance to an organizational hierarchy. The findings imply that effective approaches to addressing moral distress in emergency nurses are needed at the individual and organizational levels.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.7-23
• /
• 2024

Previous studies have highlighted the linguistic divergence between North and South Korean varieties. Although acoustic differences between North and South Korean in vowel production have been prominently observed, the vowel production in the standard varieties of Pyongyang North Korean (NK) and Seoul South Korean (SK) has had limited investigation. This study aims to explore the phonetic differences in vowel production between NK and SK speakers across two speech styles: careful and conversational speech. We analyzed a total of 13,370 vowels from each of 22 younger NK and SK speakers (16 females and 6 males in each group). Our findings reveal significant differences in the production of the vowels [æ], [ʌ], and [o] between the two varieties. Specifically, NK speakers maintained a distinction in height between the [e]-[æ] pair, a contrast that was not observed among SK speakers. Additionally, in NK, the [ʌ]-[o] pair showed considerable overlap (vowel merger) in both height and backness dimensions. These results shed light on the phonetic divergence between NK and SK varieties, offering insights into the acoustic features of NK vowel production. In further study, this understanding is crucial for supporting adaptation of NK refugees from the perspective of second dialect acquisition in South Korea.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.85-99
• /
• 2024

In this study, as part of an effort to help North Korean defectors adapt to South Korean society in the era of digital transformation, we attempted to analyze factors that affect North Korean defectors' satisfaction with self-employed tax agency services. The research method was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation techniques using the LISREL statistical package. The research results are summarized as follows. First, the factors affecting the satisfaction of North Korean defector self-employed tax agency service users were identified as tax accountant characteristics and user characteristics. Second, for self-employed North Korean defectors in South Korean society, improving user characteristics is important in the initial settlement stage, strengthening tax accountant characteristics along with user characteristics is important in the mid-term settlement stage, and only strengthening tax accountant characteristics is significant in the long term. These research results are interpreted as having a great influence on the lifestyle and culture of North Korean society where North Korean defectors lived.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.343-365
• /
• 2010

It is a follow-up study on acculturation types and adaptation level to South Korea among North Korean defecting adolescents who participated in the study with the same purpose five years ago(2003). The study of 2003(1st year study) was done with 90 adolescents, out of whom 46 participated in this study(2nd year study). The data from 46 subjects who participated in both 1st and 2nd studies were analyzed. The results on individual acculturation type showed that 40% of the respondents who belonged to 'marginal' or 'separated' types in the 1st study were changed to 'assimilated' or 'integrated' types in the 2nd. Twenty percent changed from 'assimilated' or 'integrated' types in the 1st study to 'marginal' or 'separated' in the 2nd. Furthermore, the higher is the acceptance level of South Korean culture, the lower are their psycho-social problems and the higher is the satisfaction level of daily lives in South Korea. While the higher is the preservation level of North Korean culture, the higher is aggression. Based on the results, the study developed discussion on diverse alternative plans for helping North Korean defecting adolescents in successfully adjusting to the South Korean society.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.69-76
• /
• 2015

This paper aims to analyze how the Venture Business Tendency of North Korean refugees affects social adaptation and family health, and to provide proposals for policy making on the issue. For the purpose, we specifically suggest analysis of activation plan that 48 Venture Business North Korean managed Enterprise types, Entrepreneur type, Business type, Gender, Profit etc. As a result of analysis of actual proof, First, The Venture Business North Korean refugees managed need to consult to be technology business professionally because they features to be self-employment than expertise and knowledge basis type. Second, the rate of success of North Korean refugees is researched that female is higher than male. Third, to support Venture Business of North Korean refugees, they need one on one incubating support syspen why they are inexperienced in network, technical skills. Fourth, Venture Business Tendency of North Korean refugees affects social adaptation and family health. Since mid 1990's, North Korean refugees have come to South Korea through China or third countries due to collapsing economy of North Korea. In an effort to help those escaping from North Korea, the Seoul government provided them with a 3-month settlement program. But they have had experienced difficulties in communication, cultural assimilation, and confusion in their value system and identity. For the purpose, one-on-one interview was carried out on 45 North Korean refugees living in Seoul and neighboring cities, and the interviewed group was classified into three categories: single households, single-parent families and families with parents. The study findings demonstrated four policy alternatives to help improve quality of life of North Korean refugees and to help their successful settlemen.

• Informatization Policy
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.67-83
• /
• 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.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.67-75
• /
• 2016

The financial difficulties which North Korean refugees encounter during the process of transition into South Korean society is due to their low income and insufficient expertise. Hence this research was conducted for the purpose of improving the policy and system to support North Korean refugees' starting of businesses. As a result, the self-efficacy, which is one of the individual characteristics, influences the motivation for starting business. In addition, it has been revealed that the motives and education on starting business also influence the motivation for starting business. By observing regulation effect of social adaptation, it has been found out that the interaction between the personal characteristics such as risk-taking attribute and the previous experience of starting business, along with interaction effect on social adaptation and motives and social adaptation, is statically influencing as well. On the basis of results, to efficiently support North Korean refugees' starting business, it is necessary to conduct education on starting business to boost their self-efficacy and the support must be executed based on their levels of motives, risk-taking attribute and social adaptation.