Prior to 1998, there were a total of 947 North Korean defectors, those who escaped North Korea and entered South Korea, but the number rapidly increased afterwards to reach 27,518 defectors as of December 2014 (Ministry of Unification, 2015), 70% of w... Prior to 1998, there were a total of 947 North Korean defectors, those who escaped North Korea and entered South Korea, but the number rapidly increased afterwards to reach 27,518 defectors as of December 2014 (Ministry of Unification, 2015), 70% of which is women claiming the majority. The South Korean government, in order to help the defectors adapt to the South Korean society, provided policy and institutional support via Hanawon education programs, settlement benefits and housing subsidy, and vocational training. However, despite such support, North Korean defectors have shown to undergo significant difficulty in adapting to the South Korean Society. Thus, in this study the life story of one North Korean defector woman will be analyzed in detail in order to on the life in North Korea, defection process, adaptation process in South Korea, and the reality of North Korea, and ultimately to find the problem that makes adaptation to South Korea difficult. Clandinin and Connelly’s narrative exploration method (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) was used for the research as a suitable means. The narrative exploration method is the suitable research method to analyze and understand the story of a North Korean defector woman. In this study, one North Korean defector woman, who lived in South Korea for more than ten years after her defection from North Korea and have successfully adapted to the South Korean society, was selected as the participant of the research. Data was collected between March 2012 and April 2015. All interview contents with the research participant were recorded and afterwards coded in terms of the narrative after repeatedly listening to the recording and better understanding the contents. The narrative of the research participant from the above mentioned process was reconstructed into three parts, according to the passage of time and space. The first is the experience in North Korea before the participant’s defection from North Korea. The second is the experiences in South Korea after defection and the third is the experiences until successful adaptation to the South Korean society. The following problems and observations could be noted as a result of the research. First, the economic system of North Korea was changing, including the acknowledgement of restrictive private property and expansion of commercial transactions. Even in North Korea, anyone with money could hold a wedding at a wedding hall, and anyone could earn money through business. Also, the acknowledgement of private property such that an individual can possess movable assets shows that the reality of North Korea is changing. Second, some of North Korean defectors living in South Korea face an extremely difficult situation economically as a result of unemployment and social discrimination. It appears to be that some North Korean defectors in such financial difficulty receive money from family still remaining in North Korea to sustain living. Third, the North Korean regime fears the stable adaptation of the North Korean defectors to the South Korean society. It can be speculated that the regime is afraid that the news of defectors living happily and safely in South Korea will stir the popular sentiment in North Korea. Fourth, the defectors’ entry into South Korea is in practice impossible without a broker. In particular, a guarantee for broker fees by family or friends already in South Korea is necessary, and the fees are known to be different for each case. Fifth, the South Korean popular culture has very much invaded the North Korean society. The participant’s testimony that North Korean defectors already knew Korean songs on television at the Korean consulate at Beijing, China, further shows that South Korean songs are also widely sang in North Korea. Sixth, the two Koreans exhibit obvious discrepancies in educational systems. 1) South Korea has counselors and school violence committee within the schools but North Korea has no such positions or systems and the homeroom teachers are in charge of counseling. 2) Unlike the South Korean system, in North Korea, one teacher is in charge of the same class from first grade to sixth grade, overseeing their education until graduation. The significance of this research is as follows. First, through the life story of one female North Korean defector, life in North Korea, defection process, and adaptation to South Korea were researched according to the passage of time and space. It was possible to inform the Korean public of the reality of North Korea and the defectors and to identify specific problems that make their successful settlement in South Korea difficult. Second, the identified problems will serve as important evidence supporting policy and system reforms to help North Korea defectors adapt to South Korea. Keyword: North Korean defector woman, problems of adaptation to South Korean society, narrative exploration, reality of North Korea, North Korea defection, broker, life story, North Korean defector, North-South Korea cultural differences ，韩语论文网站，韩语论文题目 |
