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KMID : 0897520030080010028
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Journal of Korean Association of Social Psychiatry
2003 Volume.8 No. 1 p.28 ~ p.38
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Quality of Life of North Korean Defectors in South Korea
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Min Sung-Kil
Jin Yong-Tak
Sohn Sang-Won
Kim Dong-Kee
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Abstract
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Objectives：The objective of this study is to evaluate the subjective quality of life(QOL) of North Korean defectors in South Korean society and to compare it with QOL when they were in North Korea and QOL of South Korean.
Method：The subjects were 43 North Korean defectors who had lived for 1 to 3 years in South Korea, who rated their subjective quality of life(QOL). A group of 113 North Korean defectors under a socializing education program of governmental organization before releasing to South Korean society rated retrospectively the subjective QOL which they had felt while they were in North Korea. Instrument was the Korean Version of bief form of World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale(WHOQOL-BREF). These results were compared with data from the standardization study of the Korean Version of WHOQOL as a control group which consist of 324 South Koreans.
Result： The total score of WHOQOL-Bref of North Korean defectors in South Korean society was not significantly different with that of South Koreans, but scores in psysical domain, negative feeling and economic resource were significantly lower in defectors. Especially QOL in facets of negative feeling and economic resource become lower after defection to South Korea. But QOL in psychological domain and environmental domain become higher. In retrospective rating, The total score of QOL in North Korea was significantly lower than that of South Koreans and especially lower in physical domain, psychologocal domain and environmental domain. However in general, QOL of North Korean defectors in negative feeling, self-esteem, body image and appearance and personal relationship seem not to be worse than that of South Koreans.
Conclusion： The result of this study suggest that, as QOL of North Korean defectors in South Korean society generally is low, they need help, especially help for resolving conflict due to negative feeling, economic support, medical service, educational service and spiritual support.
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KEYWORD
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North Korean defectors, Quality of life
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