• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2015

This study is to investigate the relationship between health promoting lifestyles around the psychosocial aspects such as depression, stress and self-esteem of young North Korean defectors. In particular, the purpose is mentally still less of a mature compared to adults, adolescents need greater understanding. For this purpose, North Korean Youth 150 people were surveyed, questionnaires 85 parts were used in the final analysis excluded from the additional 65. To analyze the factors affecting the health of life was performed multiple linear regression. Analysis result, general self, school self, stress had significant influence on health promoting lifestyles. The conclusion of this study is social psychology factors such as stress self-esteem of North Korean Adolescents refugees is addressed health promoting lifestyles and causal relationship, and promote health of adolescents shows wonderful self-esteem. It suggests that the necessary establishment. This effort is called for to reliably establish the North Korean youth to be part of a future South Korean society.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.63-70
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• 2020

This study examines whether citizen's satisfaction with police response to their victimization has an effect on the trust in the police. The data (N = 214) were collected from the North Koreans refugees residing in South Korea. One key finding shows that the North Koreans who were dissatisfied with policemen's response to their crime victimization cases report lower trust in the South Korean police. Also, the people who had ever reported a crime to the police increase their trust in the police. However, sex, education experience, car ownership, household victimization preventive measures, crime trends decrease their trust in the police. The implications and limitations were discussed for the future research.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2011

Recently urban area has suffered from frequent flood event by local heavy rain. This study performed flood tests for the Jungnang river using HEC-RAS model. Based on 1m LiDAR data, river geometry data were produced using HEC-GeoRAS. For 100-year frequency flood, 200-year frequency flood, and PMF, flooding areas were estimated. Ten sub-zones of the entire flooding area were identified based on the nearest refugees and used to analyze evacuation paths to the refugees. The results showed that approximately 70% of flooded area were residential, commercial, and transportation areas so that much loss of life and property could be possible. Path analysis showed that the shortest path distances to refugees were about 1000m average. Evacuation warning given at a proper period could minimize loss of life and property. This study provides the guideline for flood evacuation plan in urban area.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.307-318
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Relocation to new environments can have a negative impact on health by altering body weight and dietary patterns. This study attempted to elucidate changes in body weight, food security, and their current food and nutrient consumption in adult North Korean refugees (NKR) living in South Korea (SK). SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study analyzed data on 149 adult NKR from a North Korean refugee health in SK cohort at four time points (leaving North Korea, entering SK, first examination, and second examination). Body weight was self-reported at the two earlier time points and directly measured at the two later time points. Food security, diet-related behaviors (dietary habits and food consumption), and sociodemographic information were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Nutrient intake information was obtained by one-day 24-hour recall. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS ver 23.0. RESULTS: Body weight increased during relocation by an average of 4 kg, although diversified patterns were observed during the settlement period in SK. Approximately 39.6% of subjects maintained their body weight between the first and second examinations, whereas 38.6% gained and 22.1% lost at least 3% of their body weight at the first examination by the second examination. Food security status improved from 12.1% food secure proportion to 61.7%. NKR showed generally good food and nutrient consumption (index of nutrient quality: 0.77-1.93). The body weight loss group showed the most irregular meal consumption pattern (P < 0.05), and eating-out was infrequent in all three groups. Consumption frequencies of food groups did not differ by group, except in the fish group (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: This study observed considerable body weight adjustment during the settlement period in SK after initial weight gain, whereas food security consistently improved. More detailed understanding of this process is needed to assist healthy settlement for NKR in SK.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.56
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• pp.5-38
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• 2017

This research is conducted through a qualitative methodology, and it aimed for understanding of the generalized structure of getting-together experiences from South Korean who had conversations with North Korean refugees for a long term. As a result, the study, which includes the experiences along with consideration of both contexts and timeline, shows that 'One Korean but divided into South and North', 'Synthesize of water and oil', 'Different from us', 'Understand relativism and deal with it', 'Limitation as an one race: Living different ways on a peninsula' and 'Parallel horizons: Heading to vanishing point' are the key concepts. By understanding these keys, it was able to figure out how their consciousness and acts have been developed in a long term perspective, and thus, we suggest alternative solutions that can be practiced by social workers.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.361-369
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation factor to North Korean refugees by identifying the relationship between character strengths affecting adaptation process and psychological well-being(PWB) in South Korea. The study examined the relationship between PWB and character strength of 117 participants and identified the sub-factors of character strength that affect the settlement period in South Korea. The data were analyzed by using the Model 1 of Process Macro and SPSS 22. The results of this study showed a correlation between PWB and sub-factors of character strength such as wisdom, humanity, courage, justice, temperance, and spirituality. The main effect was to investigate the relationship between PWB and sub-factors of character strength by independent variables. The level of PWB increased with the level of sub-factors of character strength. The moderate effect was showed in the courage of the settling period in relation to PWB. Finally, Limitations and implications of this study was discussed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.164-174
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting tuberculosis prevention behaviors in North Korean adolescent refugees. Methods: From September 16 to October 8, 2019, a survey was conducted to collect data from 143 North Korean adolescent refugees aged 13 to <25 at alternative and general schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The scale developed by Park (2008) and adapted by Cha (2012) was used to rate tuberculosis prevention behaviors in daily life with the aim of preventing high school students from getting infected with tuberculosis. The collected data were processed through frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression, using SPSS 25.0. Results: The mean score was 13.65 for knowledge of tuberculosis, 44.23 for attitudes towards tuberculosis, and 41.33 for tuberculosis prevention behaviors. Significant differences were found according to gender, country of origin, duration of stay in South Korea, tuberculosis examination, pre-entry chest x-ray, education about tuberculosis, alcohol intake, and subjective health status. A positive correlation was found between knowledge, attitudes, and prevention behaviors. The factors affecting tuberculosis prevention behaviors were attitudes (β=.38, p<001) and subjective health status (β=.26, p<.001). Conclusion: It is necessary to provide attitude-based education that can reinforce positive attitudes in order to improve North Korean adolescent refugees' tuberculosis prevention behaviors. This is expected to help them pay more attention to health care and become better at prevention behaviors. It is, therefore, necessary to develop a tuberculosis prevention education program with the aim of making them more knowledgeable about tuberculosis and providing them with systematic and sustainable education.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.55
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• pp.103-130
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• 2003

This study examined resettlement and adaptation condition of North Korean(NK) refugees resettling in local areas and compared the results of the examination to the life conditions for those who are living in Seoul and its vicinities. As the result indicates, the first cohort is currently inferior to their counterpart in labor market activities, life satisfaction, and quantity and quality of resettlement assistance implemented by private voluntary agencies. The reason of selecting Busan as a specific case for this study is that: 1) Busan is the largest city in the number of NK refugees residence except for Seoul, 2) Busan has a couple of community welfare centers which are involved in the work of NK refugee resettlement as well as the reason that Busan provides convenience of conducting a survey to the researcher. The most significant contribution of this study to social work research and practice is that it applied the existing theoretical and practical approach of community resources development and networking of social supports to the field of NK refugee resettlement assistance. Based on the research findings, this study suggests that the roles and functions of Community Associations of NK Refugee Assistance should be more activating and that a community welfare center should a take critical role in organizing and activating the Community Associations. This paper also suggests specific ways of enhancing the role of community welfare centers in NK refugee assistance.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.168-179
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• 2016

This study attempted to analyze the relationship between school life satisfaction and acculturation of elementary students of north Korean refugees in Daegu and Gyeongbuk region. The socio-demographic characteristics of elementary students in Daegu and Gyeongbuk were different from in capital territory or other parts of Korea. The acculturation of students living in Daegu and Gyeongbuk was distinctive. The proportion of assimilation was slightly higher than that of integration. However, 42 percent of students belonging to separation and marginalization passively accepted south Korean culture, so that they would have a difficult time in adjusting to new culture. Students getting older and being used to school life strongly inclined to accept south Korean culture; while, students born in north Korea tended to resist acceptance of south Korean culture. Most students were satisfied with school life. The satisfaction level was high in the relationship with teachers and school environment; while, the satisfaction level in learning activity was relatively low. In the relationship between school satisfaction and types of acculturation, students actively accepting new culture were relatively highly satisfied with their school life. A standardized short-term education oriented program for north Korean adolescents refugees living in south Korea should be shifted into the long-term support policy reflected in class and attribute in terms of acculturation.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.161-194
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that interrupt the use of social security of elderly North Korean refugees. As a result of qualitative content analysis using interview data, it is found that the elderly North Korean defectors have a lower access to the social security system. The main reason for hindering the use of social security system is low awareness due to limited information channels, psychological distance to South Korean society and residents. Moreover, this psychological distance is a factor that reduces the geographical accessibility of elderly North Korean defectors by preferring to use services in specific institutions for North Korean, while South Korean elderly people can use the service elsewhere. In addition, there are many cases in which the elderly in North Korean defectors do not receive sufficient social security due to low income. On the other hand, social security systems with high accessibility of older North Korean refugees are characterized by the fact that they are provided by experts who have formed sufficient rapport with North Korean refugees. Therefore, it seems possible to improve the accessibility of elderly defectors' friendly system by professional workers with cultural competence. In addition, a multidimensional approach is needed to fully cope with the complex desires of elderly North Korean defectors and a mechanism should be set up to reflect their opinion in system operation.