• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.137-143
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• 2016

This study is to test moderating effects of North Korean Refugees' coping styles in the causal relation between social support and psychological wellbeing and suggest policy implications for helping social adjustment of North Korean Refugees. For this study, 100 North Korean Refugees were sampled and surveyed. The analytical result of this study showed that the degree of psychological wellbeing was highest among the refugees of the entire families migration. Also, this study showed that the causal relationship between social support and psychological wellbeing was not significant, and moderating effects of emotional support and appraisal support were significant, while moderating effects of material support and informative support were not significant. In this study, we suggested some policy implications basing on this analytical results.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and dietary behavior of adolescents from North Korean refugee (NKR) families residing in South Korea (SK), who are known to be at a higher risk of malnutrition due to their lower socioeconomic status and facing other psychological challenges. Methods: A total of 178 adolescents (91 males and 87 females) from NKR families were included in the analysis, and their demographic details such as age, birthplace, parental nationality, and duration of their settlement in SK were collected through questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were also taken to determine their growth and nutritional status according to the 2017 Korean National Growth Charts for children and adolescents. The study used the Nutrition Quotient for Korean Adolescents (NQ-A) questionnaire to assess the dietary behavior of the participants. Results: Approximately 11.8% and 10.1% of participants were identified with malnutrition and obesity, respectively. The total mean score for the NQ-A was 50.1. The mean scores for the individual factors of balance, diversity, moderation, environment, and practice were 49.2, 44.7, 43.8, 51.2, and 61.5, respectively. Approximately 47.2% of participants had a low NQ-A grade. However, there was no significant difference in the NQ-A scores according to their nutritional status or duration of time in SK. Conclusions: Adolescents from NKR families exhibited both malnutrition and obesity. However, their dietary behavior, as assessed using the NQ-A, did not vary with their nutritional status. The unique challenges and related dietary behavior of North Korean adolescent refugees should be taken into consideration, when developing targeted strategies for nutritional education and health management programs.

• Journal of Legislation Research
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• no.53
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• pp.109-147
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• 2017

North Korean defectors had left North Korea often to escape from food shortages in the mid-1990s. Since the 2000s, the reasons of their flee from North Korea have more resulted from their exposure to external information, and a desire for democracy and freedom. However, North Korean defectors living in China are not recognized as refugees and thus subject to various human rights violations including forced repatriation. It needs to be thought that wether North Korean defectors who escape from North Korea are political refugees under international law. If they are not recognized as refugees in their new countries, it is imperative to consider a possible way to protect their human rights under international law. The problem of recognition of the refugee status of a person is a matter of involving the sovereignty of individual countries, however, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees should provide protection of their unique rights, as recognizes by the UNHCR, and their status should be treated as a refugees issue in a broad sense. In the future, it is a necessary to establish international solidarity among individual countries, the UN General Assembly, the decisions of the Human Rights Council and support of UNHCR, to anticipate the need for the refugee recognition and the protection of International Human Rights in preparation for possible mass defections and refugees from North Korea.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.166-176
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and prevention attitudes of female North Korean refugees regarding cervical cancer and human papillomavirus(HPV) infection. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected from November 2015 to March 2016 and 130 female North Korean refugees participated. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. Results: Score on knowledge and prevention attitudes regarding cervical cancer and HPV were 2.53 out of 8 points, 1.67 out of 17 points, and 28.90 out of 36 points. There were significant differences between entry duration, the number of children, previous cervical cancer tests, Precognition about HPV, preferred education method, and knowledge of cervical cancer. There were significant differences between previous cervical cancer tests, Precognition about HPV and knowledge of HPV. The correlation between knowledge and prevention attitudes regarding cervical cancer and HPV was significant positive. Conclusion: Female North Korean refugees' knowledge level of cervical cancer and HPV is very low. However, their attitudes towards prevention was higher. These results imply a need for education, aimed at guiding North Korean female refugees, so as to enhance their knowledge regarding cervical cancer and HPV, and to promote their sexual health.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.325-356
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• 2006

This study deals with information poverty and information service for information welfare of North Korean refugees. On the basis of the data collected and analyzed, it was concluded that North Korean refugees were situated at information poverty, as compared to the situation of South Koreans. It was also found out that their information poverty was caused by the inferiority of their information literary and information environment. In conclusion, this study made some suggestions for overcoming the information poverty and promoting the information welfare of North Korean refugees.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2010

The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea is continuously increasing. North Korean speakers show significant differences in vowel and consonant phonetics, length of vowels, and the rhythm and intonation of sentences. The object of this research was to examine the effectiveness of a speech intervention program for North Korean refugees using visual feedback through acoustical analysis for intonation. The subjects were three adults with no speech disabilities who had been in South Korea for less than five years. They had not received any prior treatment for inflection change. The program was set in a discourse situation and used Praat to evaluate intonation and provide visual feedback as demonstrating proper intonation changes through pitch contour. The results after intervention are as follows. First, intonation was significantly improved according to a 5-point subjective evaluation scale. Second, the pitch contour was similar to the contour of standard South Korean pronunciation. The subjects were very satisfied with this initial treatment and showed a high level of motivation. In subsequent study, the development of intervention and the comparison of interventions will be needed as well.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2012

As North Korea passed from the Devotion (Jeongseong) movement to the black market (Jangmadang) system, the medical service system in that country was effectively destroyed. North Korean physicians who have successfully defected to South Korea (North Korean defector physicians, NKDPs) have experienced socio-economic hardships on their way to becoming incorporated into the South Korean medical system due to different medico- social cultures, different (English-based) medical terminology, and the clinical knowledge gap between North and South Korea. Since 2009, we have operated programs at the Seoul Medical Center to help NKDPs prepare for the South Korean medical licensing examination. These programs consist of clinical education at the medical center, personal mentoring, arrangement of educational programs at the medical college, mock tests at the consortium, and administrative aid. Looking forward, we hope to achieve the following: 1) More systematic support plans are needed involving medical education experts, field physicians, and experts on reunification. 2) An evaluation of defector physicians' current medical knowledge may provide information about the areas where supplementary education is most needed and the standards for certificating licenses. 3) In the short term, a customized glossary should be developed to assist defector physicians prepare for the examination. 4) To secure internships and residencies is the most important issue for further sustained training of NKDP physicians to become good clinicians after certification. Hopefully, this short report on the current ongoing educational course will lead to more extensive discussion.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2016

Although the state of medicine in North Korea is of great interest, there is little information, if any, about the present state of medicine in North Korea. Even North Korea's laws and regulations on medicine are not publicly available. It is plausible that the dictator's commands or the policy of the Communist Party may be superior to the nation's constitution and laws on medical education and much more. Information is only available from a limited number of publications and mainly from the statements of refugees, which differ greatly among themselves. No one refugee could provide authoritative data or information because they were never in the position to see the larger picture or have experience over the long term. However, what is known is that the major health professions in North Korea include physicians (medical doctors), stomatologists (oral doctors), 'Koryo' doctors (doctors of Korean traditional medicine), midwives, and nurses. The names and the founding year of each of the regular medical schools are listed along with the change and restoration of names of schools. It is known that there have been quasi-physicians and semi-physicians. However, the reasons for any changes that have taken place also remain unknown. The educational system, curriculum, and even the number of years of training needed to qualify to become a physician have varied from time to time.

• Journal of National Security and Military Science
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• s.8
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• pp.169-238
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• 2010

The year 2010 is the 60th anniversary commemorating the Korean War. China intervened in the Korean War with the logics such as "To Resist the U.S.'s Aggression and Aid North Korea," "Save Endangered Home & defend Nation," and "If the Lips Are Gone, the Teeth Will Be Exposed to the Cold or If One of Them Falls, the Other is in Danger." However, China had a deep and long connection with North Korea through 1st Chinese Civil War, war against Japan imperialism, and 2nd Chinese Civil War. China has consulted with Kim Il-sung on his invasion of South Korea at the initial stage of development and played a casting vote role in the execution of the invasion plan. During the Korean War, the PLA supported the North Korea's regime by its action, and made the Korea Peninsula divide into two semi-permanently. Even after the war, China continues to maintain relations with North Korea by helping North Korea build the Kim Il-sung's Kingdom. Currently, whenever any issue related to North Korea rises in the international society, China definitely gets involved in those issues and exercises its power. Conditionally 'either armed aggression or, and wartime' in North Korea, China would follow the "Clause of Military Auto Intervention." In addition, China is very likely to establish refugee camps for North Koreans in the Northeastern-Three-Province and to provide rear bases or guerrilla camps for pro-Chinese sects. Furthermore, voluntarily playing a role as spokesman of North Korean Regime in the international society, China will exercise enormous influence on the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

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