This study aimed to examine the process of occupational resocialization of North Korean defectors through their work in the South Korean labor market. Specifically, we employed a grounded theory approach to explore the content and meaning of occupatio...
This study aimed to examine the process of occupational resocialization of North Korean defectors through their work in the South Korean labor market. Specifically, we employed a grounded theory approach to explore the content and meaning of occupational resocialization, its structure, the personal and social factors that influence it, and the processes and interactions that shape this resocialization. Nineteen North Korean defectors from the Seoul metropolitan area participated in the study. Data were collected through two to three face-to-face, in-depth interviews from March to September 2025. The raw data were analyzed using the open coding, axial coding, and selective coding methods proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998), followed by typological analysis and a situational model. The results of the study are as follows.
Through open coding, 385 concepts were derived, which were then abstracted into 85 subcategories and 23 categories. Axial coding was used to present the relationships among the categories as a paradigm model, where the causal conditions were identified as ‘Self-enlightenment’, ‘The survival of vulnerable workers’, and ‘Accumulation of tacit knowledge’. The contextual conditions were identified as ‘Job adaptation chaos’, ‘Perceived labor market barriers’, ‘Stress-induced regression’, ‘Informal support systems’, ‘Psychological capital formation’, and ‘Mindful acceptance’, The central phenomenon was ‘Reconstruction of professional identity in heterogeneous professional cultures’, The mediating conditions were identified as ‘Utilization of public support systems’, ‘Reciprocal social capital’, ‘The virtue of moderation’ and ‘Expansion of social responsibility’. The actions/interactions were ‘Victory in the struggle for recognition’, ‘Unplanned career learning’, ‘Riding the wave of change’, ‘Escaping the information disadvantaged based on adult learning’, and ‘Strengthening professional life capabilities’. The results were ‘upward advancement of professional status’, ‘Formation of a complex professional identity’, ‘A growth plate opened through professional activities’ and ‘Realization of professional-based community values’. In addition, through process analysis according to the flow of time, it was analyzed that after the central phenomenon emerged, the ‘Human capital strengthening stage’, ‘Growth-oriented re-challenge stage’, ‘Career capital accumulation stage’ and ‘Professional identity establishment stage’ were passed through, and the results of ‘Upward advancement of professional status’, ‘Formation of a complex professional identity’, ‘A growth plate opened through professional activities’ and ‘Realization of professional-based community values’ appeared.
Selective coding involved deriving core categories, followed by narrative outline techniques, typological analysis and a situational model. The core category in this study was "The process of overcoming job vulnerability through support and self-confidence and improving one's job status in the new labor market." Through narrative outline techniques the researcher sought to understand not only the specific life experiences of the participants but also the difficulties they faced, fostering empathy and understanding. Based on the central phenomenon, contextual conditions, and mediating conditions, five types were derived by considering the attributes and dimensions of each category: ‘Community contribution-oriented’, ‘Self-directed growth-oriented’, ‘Learning-based growth-oriented’, ‘Professional skill-oriented’ and ‘Situation-responsive’. The situational model graphically presented the interactions and influencing factors at the individual, family, organizational, community, and national societal levels, centered on the core categories.
Based on the findings of this study, we explored the specifics and implications of occupational cultural adaptation, incidental learning, informal learning, and work ethics in the labor market, which emerged during the resocialization process of North Korean defectors through their work activities. We also developed a substantive theory of the process of occupational resocialization. By synthesizing the core of this study—“The process of overcoming occupational vulnerability through support and self-confidence and improving occupational status in the new labor market”—and the tentative theories derived from the paradigm, we proposed the hypothetical proposition: ‘Support and self-confidence overcome employment vulnerability, while internalizing labor market norms and strengthening a sense of community increase employability and promote resocialization’. Furthermore, we elucidated the relationship between the occupational cultural context and individual needs in the labor market through grounded theory research. Based on data derived from the insider perspective, we proposed policy recommendations for promoting the occupational resocialization of North Korean defectors and suggested effective career counseling practices, including approaches and intervention methods in career and vocational counseling settings.