• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.85-106
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to learn from Korean female defectors about their views of child-rearing experiences in South Korea. This study explored how 7 North Korean female defectors with young children developed child-rearing microideologies that acknowledge both North Korean cultural ideology and South Korean cultural ideology. Methods: To examine North Korean female defectors' child-rearing experiences, indepth interviews with 7 North Korean female defectors with young children were conducted. Results: Four theme clusters, 11 themes, and 47 meanings were found from a phenomenological analysis with indepth interview data. Based on the themes, three types of child-rearing microideologies were identified: (1) separation,(2) assimilation, and (3) integration. Each type of child-rearing microideology can be understood with a meaningful phrase "there is no choice", "nevertheless" and "because I came here to be better," respectively. Conclusion/Implications: This study provides knowledge on the individual-specified child-rearing strategy of North Korean female defectors with young children and suggests the necessity of diverse policy proposals based on the child-rearing microideology types.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.229-243
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to understand North Korean female defectors' survival strategies in China. In this research, 13 female defectors in China were interviewed. There seemed to be 6 survival strategies in the interview. They disguised themselves as if they were Chosunjok；they tried to wear fashionable clothes, to mimic Chosunjok dialect, to speak mingling Chinese words with Korean words, and to get counterfeit ID cards. They suppressed themselves from showing their angers or resentment against Chinese who looked down on them due to their illegal status, but they would seek chances to revenge on them in the future. They have survived by gelling married to Chinese, but they were reluctant to have a baby because it was not for sure what their future lives are going to be like. They were alert against people around them all the time, especially against North Korean defectors, and were conscious of their competitive relationship among themselves. Finally, some of them appeared to seek routes to immigrate to South Korea, but others who didn't yet make up their minds to immigrate to South Korea had vague anticipations of North and South Koreas to be reunified.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1-17
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to understand North Korean female defectors' experiences in China. 13 female defectors were interviewed. Before they extricated from North Korea, they expected to make money to survive with their family in North Korea. But it couldn't be done because they didn't have legal status in China. They were at the risk of exposing to traffickers in females and of repatriation to North Korea. Surviving in China, they realized they were “Chosun(North Korean) females”; it meant they were in extremely poor and were sold by traffickers. It made them put to shame and be hurt their pride as a Chosun national identity. On the other hand, they realized they had narrow experiences and a limited outlook on international issues. They made themselves accustomed to freedom from the Chinese Revolution ; some of them experienced achievement. In general, they were satisfied with physical needs, but lacks of safety and worth in life. Even though, they couldn't return to North Korea because they were afraid of being punished by their government, and of striking their family a fatal blow in their successful lives of the society.

• 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'.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.507-528
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• 2009

Coping and defense are similar psychological mechanisms to reduce stress response, but they are regarded as distinct from each other. Defense involved distortions of reality, but coping was used for strategies associated with accepting the true nature of the situation. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the coping and defense features of the North Korean Defectors in the Rorschach test. The subjects were then categorized into four groups based on their birth place and gender: Male North Korean defectors( N=16), female North Korean defectors(N=28), male South Koreans(N=17), and female South Koreans(N=25). All subjects were individually administered the Rorschach test, and protocols were scored according to the Exner(2003)'s Rorschach Comprehensive systems. Coping or defense-related Rorschach variables were selected for analysis: EA, CDI, Adj D, EB style, Lamda, Zd, X-%, Xu%, W:Dd:D, P, reaction time, and other behavior characteristics during the testing. Compared with other groups, female North Korean defectors were more likely to show poor coping resources(low EA), adjustment difficulties(Adj D), and distortions of reality(high X-%). They also demonstrated more 'don't know' responses and more delayed responses than other groups. These findings suggest that poor coping resources make female North Korean defectors more vulnerable to stress, and psychological intervention such as social skills training may help them settle successfully in south Korea. Limitations of the current study and implications for future research were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.64-73
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• 1999

We performed a study to understand the dietary situation in North Korea and to compare the difference between the North and the South. Two hundred North Korean defectors from the North since 1990 participated in this survey. Information was collected from December, 1997 to February, 1998 by mailing pre-tested questionnaires, which had been confirmed by 10 previous interviewers. The final data from 157 defectors(107 male and 33 female with 17 unidentified gender) were analyzed. We found that (1) North Koreans are lower in height, weight and BMI than South Koreans, (2) The North Korean diet is very simple and monotonous. It is limited to their local and unprocessed foods and dishes, which is far from the trend of globalization and readiness. (3) On the other hand, in the North, the government control on foods diminished because food shortage leads to free market activity where housewives manage their own foodservices, and to accelate their eating-out behaviors. (4) Profound differences between the South and the North in dietary life are noticed by the defectors as English words and Korean words. Efforts to understand and learn about each other is necessary before not too late.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.49
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• pp.217-246
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• 2016

Most of the North Korean defectors are the socially disadvantaged, and formed the lowest class in South Korean society. Their main objectives are to achieve economic wealth. In this process, North Korean defectors have often committed the crime or have been criminal victims. The purpose of this study was to propose the effective preventive measures after analyzing the actual situation of North Korean defectors in criminal behaviors and criminal damages. This research has studied of the literature on the criminal behavior and the criminal damage by North Korean defectors, utilized the relevant statistical data, cited the news for the relevant cases, and proposed the effective preventive measures of criminal behaviors and criminal damages of North Korean defectors by doing in-depth interviews with personal protection officer First, in order to prevent criminal activity by North Korean defectors, we should uplift the identity as the members of Korean society, systemize the initial adapt education, enlarge the employment protection and the resettlement helper system, manage North Korean defectors according to adaptive type, develop the network, establish the management department for the defectors, strengthen the training of prison inmates, and strengthen the management of unprotected people. Next, in order to prevent the criminal damages of North Korean refugees, we should manage vulnerable North Korean defectors effectively, maintain the liaison between the personal protection officer and North Korean defector, arrange the personal safety measures in advance when traveling abroad, enhance the legal education for usual living in Korean society, and perform the re-education for the female socialization.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.385-395
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• 2017

This qualitative research is conducted to explore the balancing experience of work and child care of North Korean female defectors. Five of North Korean female defectors from double income family in their 40's were selected and interviewed. The interview data were analyzed by a phenomenological qualitative method. The five categories were derived from the data and included as follows: , , , , . Based on the results of the research the suggestions for practical services, such as parenting education, career path development programs and policies with gender perspective were made. Limitations of the research and further research recommendations were suggested as well.