The Social and Psychological Acculturation of North Korean Refugees

This is a book on North Korean refugees who entered South Korea since 2004. Experiences of North Korean refugees provide a good example of how an individual interacts at various levels of environment at a time of drastic change in the political-economic regimes and the cultural system. We followed the whole journey of North Korean refugees from their life in North Korea through experiences in China and settlement efforts in South Korea. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we investigated their social and psychological adaptation issues and mechanisms from the acculturation perspective. While many experienced severe adjustment problems, some showed positive outcomes. Individual and family resilience was an important factor which facilitated their acculturation and adjustment.



이 책은 2004년 이후 남한에 입국한 북한이탈주민에 대한 내용을 담은 것으로 『탈북가족의 적응과 심리적 통합』(서울대학교출판부, 2007)의 영문판이다. 북한이탈주민의 경험은 다양한 수준의 환경에서 정치-경제 체제와 문화의 급격한 변화를 겪는 기간에 개인이 어떻게 대처하는지 좋은 예를 제공한다. 저자들은 북한이탈주민의 북한에서의 삶과 중국에서의 경험, 그리고 남한에서 정착하기 위한 노력까지 전체 여정을 따라간다. 양적 및 질적방법을 사용하여 저자들은 그들의 사회적, 심리적 적응 문제와 메커니즘을 문화적응(acculturation)의 관점에서 연구한다. 많은 이들이 여러 적응 문제들을 겪음에도 일부는 긍정적인 결과를 보여주었다. 그중에서도 개인 및 가족의 탄력성(resilience)은 문화적 적응 및 조정을 촉진하는 중요한 요인이었다.

Preface v



I. Resilience and Acculturation of North Korean Refugees

Resilience of individual and family

1) Resilience of individual and family

2) Validity of the resilience concept



II. Research Methods

1. Qualitative research

1) Subjects

2) Research procedure

3) Research scales

4) Demographic characteristics of the interviewees

2. Quantitative research

1) Subjects

2) Research scales

3) Research analysis

4) Socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects



III. Border-Crossing Experience by North Korean Refugees

1. Border-crossing process of North Korean refugees

1) Size of North Korean refugees

2) Origins of North Korean refugees

3) Motives for border-crossing

4) Border-crossing routes

5) The third country and the length of stay

2. Refugees' lives in North Korea

1) Life in North Korea

2) North Korea's internal factors that pushed North Korean refugees out

3) External factors that pulled North Korean refugees out

4) Factors that made North Korean refugees hesitate to exit

5) Determining momentum for crossing

6) The crossing preparation process and the actual crossing

3. Experiences in the third country

1) Third country's internal factors that pushed refugees out

2) External factors that pulled refugees out of the third country

4. Crisis during the border-crossing process

1) Arrest by North Korean National Security

2) False information and betrayal by a broker

3) Pursuit and arrest by Chinese Public Security

5. Entry process and experiences in South Korea

1) Entry process

2) Experience in South Korea

3) Psychological conflicts and the overcoming process

6. Border-crossing process and resources used in adapting to South Korea

1) Personal traits

2) Family support

3) Social resources

7. Summary of the border-crossing process of North Korean refugees



IV. Border-Crossing Experience and Personal Changes of North Korean Refugees

1. Changes in values

1) Materialistic values

2) Collectivist values

3) Individualistic values

4) Familism values

5) Patriarchal values in gender roles

2. Change of identity

1) Self-identity

2) Family identity

3) Ethnic identity

4) National identity

3. Changes in psychological characteristics

1) Attribution

2) Depression

3) Self-esteem

4) Falsehood

4. Recognition on South and North Korean society

1) Personality

2) Compliance with rules

3) Free competition

4) Respect for authority



V. North Korean Refugee's Socio-Cultural Adaptation in South Korea

1. North Korean refugee's settlement in South Korea

1) Actual settlement conditions

2) Positive and negative changes after the crossing

2. The actual condition of North Korean refugee's adaptation

1) Socio-cultural adaptation

2) The current difficulties

3) Life satisfaction

3. Adaptation of North Korean refugees and personal resilience

1) Establishment of self-identity and socio-cultural adaptation

2) Self-esteem and socio-cultural adaptation

3) Attribution and socio-cultural adaptation

4. Adaptation of North Korean refugees and family

1) Family of North Korean refugees and their socio-cultural adaptation

2) Current difficulties of North Korean refugee families

3) Family of North Korean refugees and life satisfaction

5. Adaptation of North Korean refugees and family resilience

1) Family resilience and socio-cultural adaptation

2) Family resilience and current difficulties

3) Family resilience and life satisfaction

6. Social network and support

1) Social network

2) Social support and socio-cultural adaptation

3) Social support and current difficulties

4) Social support and life satisfaction

7. Adaptation of North Korean refugees and limitations of the study



VI. Adaptation and Social Psychological Integration of North Korean Refugees

1. Task of a social and psychological integration

1) General process of acculturation

2) Attributes of North Korean refugees and task of social and psychological integration

3) Issues after the unification of the North and the South

2. Policy for social and psychological integration

1) General direction

2) Policy for child and family

3) Social and cultural policy



References

Index

Yi, Soon-Hyung 저자 Yi, Soon-Hyung

Professor, Child Development & Family Studies, SNU

Former President, Korean Association of Child Studies

Former President, Korean Association of Human Development