The purpose of the study was to identify the influence of North Korean Defectors’Cultural Orientation, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Resilience to their adaptation to South Korean society, and to provide evidence for North Korean defect...
The purpose of the study was to identify the influence of North Korean Defectors’Cultural Orientation, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Resilience to their adaptation to South Korean society, and to provide evidence for North Korean defectors to improve their adjustment to South Korean society. This study compiled snowball sampling of North Korean defectors aged 19 years or older who completed Settlement Support Center for North Korean Refugees (Hanawon) education and live in the community.
Data collection was conducted from November, 2019. The participants were 171 who agreed to participate in this study. The Cultural Orientation of North Korean defectors was measured using Individualism-Collectivism (INDCOL) Tool, which was developed by Singelis et al. (1995) and revised by Kim (1996). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was measured using PTSD Checklist civil version (PCL-C) developed by Weathers et al. (1993) and revised by Osong et al. (2014). Resilience was measured using the Korean version of CD-RISC, which was developed by Connor and Davidson (2003) and revised by Baek et al. (2010). Adjustment to South Korean society was measured using the social adaptation problem scale developed by Jang & Kim (2000) and modified by Kim (2019). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 22.0. Descriptive statistics, Independent t-test, ANOVA Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were utilized.
The results of this study are as follows:
1. The cultural orientation score was calculated for each subject; then, these scores were classified into four subtypes according to the orientation which scored the highest. In this research, 55 subjects (38.7%) showed the cultural orientation of horizontal individualism and another 55 subjects (38.7%) displayed horizontal collectivism. Horizontal individualism and horizontal collectivism were present at the same ratio and aggregately was shown in 77.4% of the total study population. Post-traumatic stress disorder averaged 42.72±16.01 out of 85, resilience averaged 66.37±15.80 out of 100, and adjustment to South Korean society averaged 31.07±7.10 out of 40.
2. The vertical individualism of the subjects differed significantly depending on their gender (t=-2.62, p=.010), age (F=8.36, p<.001), marital status (F=9.58, p<.001), job classification (F=3.95, p=.021) and family currently living together (F=5.32, p=.007). The orientation of vertical individualism tended to appear in men rather than women and was also more common for subjects in their 40s, 50s and over rather than those in their 20s and 30s. This orientation was also more common among the others rather than unmarried and married, among the others rather than students and among couples immigrating together after marriage in North Korea than the others. The vertical collectivism of the subjects differed significantly depending on their age (F=2.73, p=.045), marital status (F=4.37, p=.014), and family currently living together (F=7.31, p=.001). Subjects showed a statistically significant tendency of vertical collectivism in their 50s and over rather than those in their 30s, among the others rather than unmarried. Also, the orientation of vertical collectivism tended to appear among couples immigrating together after marriage in North Korea or married in South Korea than the others. Horizontal individualism was shown significantly different depending on their family currently living together (F=3.86, p=.025). It was higher among couples immigrating together after marriage in North Korea or among married in South Korea than the others.
3. The severity of the Post-traumatic stress disorder of the subject was significantly different depending on age (F=3.67, p=.013), marital status (F=9.20, p<.001), job classification (F=3.42, p=.035), pattern of defection (F=5.44, p=.005), and family members who are currently living together (t=-2.58, p=.011). The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder was higher in the age groups of the 40s rather than the 20s and 30s and was higher among housewives than students. When considering the type of companion in defection, having no companion had a higher correlation with Post-traumatic stress disorder compared to arriving with family, friends or others. The rate of Post-traumatic stress disorder was higher among the others rather than unmarried and among those currently living alone than those living with family members. This result was statistically significant.
4. The resilience of the subject was significantly different depending on age (F=4.08, p=.008), religion (t=2.64, p=.009), educational level (F=-3.61, p=〈.001), the length of one's residence in South Korea (F=6.20, p=.003) and family members who are currently living together (F=9.26, p=〈.001). The resilience of North Korean defectors was higher among those in their 50s and over compared to those in their 40s. Resilience was also higher both in religious individuals compared to atheists. It was also higher among those who had graduated from a professional college, or higher to those whose highest education level was graduating high school or lower. The subjects who lived in South Korea for 10 or more years showed significantly higher resilience than those with fewer than five years of residency. Resilience was also higher among couples immigrating together after marriage in North Korea or among married in South Korea than the others.
5. The subject's adjustment to South Korean society differed significantly depending on marital status (F=4.41, p=.014), job classification (F=4.72, p=.010), educational level (F=-3.04, p=.003), subjective economic condition (F=2.78, p=.006), the length of one's residence in South Korea (F=6.61, p=.02), and family status currently living together(t=2.31, p=.022; F=7.05, p=.002). The adjustment degree of North Korean defectors to South Korean society was significantly higher among married or unmarried than the others, and also higher among students and the others than in housewives. Subjects with a higher level of education, having completed professional college or higher showed a higher degree of social adjustment than those who completed high school or less. The degree of social adjustment was also higher among those with a “middle and over”than a “low”subjective economic status. This result was statistically significant. Subjects who lived in South Korea for 10 or more years showed a significantly higher degree of social adjustment than those with a residency of fewer than five years. Additionally, the social adjustment degree was significantly higher for those currently living with family members than alone and among couples immigrating together after marriage in North Korea or among married in South Korea than the others.
6. The subject's adjustment to South Korean society had a significant amount of correlation between horizontal individualism(r=.21, p=.005) and horizontal collectivism(r=.21, p=.007). In addition, South Korean society adjustment showed a statistically significant negative correlation with Post-traumatic stress disorder(r=-.61, p<.001), and a statistically significant positive correlation with resilience(r=.46, p<.001).
7. The variables affecting the subject's adjustment to South Korean society were Post-traumatic stress disorder and resilience, and the variables were shown to affect the adjustment to South Korean society in the order of Post-traumatic stress disorder and resilience. The total variable's explanatory power was 47.2 percent. Post-traumatic stress disorder accounted for 37.7 percent, while resilience accounted for 8.8 percent of the adjustment to South Korean society. The higher the Post-traumatic stress disorder, the lower the adjustment of South Korean society, the more resilient the South Korean society is, the higher the adjustment of South Korean society. In comparison, cultural disposition did not have a significant impact on the adaptation of South Korean society.
The study found that about 77 percent of the subjects had horizontal cultural orientations and relatively high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and low resilience, while post traumatic stress disorder and resilience had a significant influence on the degree of North Korean defectors ' adjustment to South Korean society. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to develop nursing intervention and guidelines that can control post-traumatic stress disorder and improve resilience in order to improve the level of adjustment of North Korean defectors to South Korean society.