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As of 2006, the South Korean Ministry of Unification registered about 9,000 North Koreans in South Korea. Many thousands of them escaped from North to South as a result of the North Korean famine of 1994–1998. [1] North Koreans living in South Korea are often mistreated at schools, denied employment, and are subject to other kinds of ethnic issues due to their being from North Korea. [2] [3] [4]
The government of South Korea looked to promote unification in 2005, by diminishing the use of Cold War Era terms such as "defectors" or "escapees" when referring to North Korean Migrants. The old terms suggested negative connotations and derogatory use. Instead they opted to use a new term, saeteomin. Saeteomin means "new settlers" and emphasizes the migrant characteristics of the people. [5]
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or the DPRK, adheres to a strict Stalinist pattern of zero tolerance towards overseas migration. However, after the Korean War, North Korean defectors began to try and escape to South Korea in search of a better life. Before the start of the Korean War, the number of migrators between the North and the South was between 456,000 and 829,000. Through the years 1950–1953, an estimated 400,000–650,000 people migrated. Between 1945 and 1953, about 10 percent of the population left the North, but these numbers dramatically decreased after the war was over. [6]
The Korean Demilitarized Zone, between North and South Korea, exists to keep external and internal threats to a minimum. External threats could come from the possibility of South Korean agents making their way into the country. Any internal threats include the possibility of non-authorized attempts to leave. The DMZ Line is protected by electric fences, minefields, and soldiers. Extra support of fenced and mined beaches, patrols, and surveillance of the area make it nearly impossible to cross. [6]
As the direct journey to South Korea was so difficult, China found itself receiving a large number of North Korean defectors. If able to cross, defectors were able to find employment in Northeast China. When the North Korean Famine reached its peak in 1988–1989, almost 200,000 defectors were found in China. After radical liberalization of China, the number of defectors largely increased from 41 to 1,894 annually. [6]
The South Korean government, in 1997, passed the Act on Protection and Resettlement Support for the Residents Who Escaped From North Korea. The result of the act was 36,960,000 won (about 25.053 US-Dollar) for each adult defector. [7] The government also increased job training procedures and attempted to address other problems migrants might face in their new life in South Korea. In 2005, the South Korean government launched a scholarship program that allotted up to 15.4 million won per person to achieve vocational training, certifications, and eventually jobs. Although the program gave money to assist in job searching, it also reduced the amount of settlement money from 39.5 million won to 20 million won per person. [5]
At the beginning of North Korean migration to South Korea, the population was mostly considered privileged and upper class. More recently, the population has become more heterogeneous and includes people of all education, age, and employment backgrounds. It has been found that there is a correlation between high levels of education and employment as compared to low levels of education and unemployment. Depression, PTSD, and chronic illness are also large factors in the ability to find a job after defecting. Those more likely to find jobs are males who either had an educational background or a technical license. Refugees who experience chronic illnesses make 89.5 percent less than those who do not. Similarly, those who report cases of PTSD make 184.6 percent less than those who do not experience trauma related events. In the year 2001, the average income of a North Korean migrant was 59.98 won. The average income of non-migrant South Korean citizens in 2005 was 1,390,000 won compared to the less than 1,000,000 won of North Korean migrants. [8]
These new settlers come from many different paths on their way to South Korea, including going through China, Mongolia, and Southeast Asia. In 2003, a survey done by the Korea Institute for National Unification, showed that 24.6 percent of respondents were very satisfied with their overall life in South Korea as compared to the 1 percent of those who are very unsatisfied. In 2005, the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, reported that 22.7 percent of respondents claimed that the biggest obstacle in their new life were "economic difficulties". Income inequality between South Korean citizens and the saeteomin was a large issue. Many reported lower incomes due to unemployment or not being able to keep the same job. [5]
Some North Korean migrants even report problems of prejudice and discrimination. 56.5 percent of respondents from a study done by the Korea Institute for National Unification in 2005, responded yes to having faced difficulty in the workplace for being from North Korea. A large number of North Koreans in South Korea report issues with promotions and salaries compared to their South Korean colleagues. [5]
For many who make the treacherous journey from North to South Korea, those with children hope to give their kids a better education. Reports show that there are large numbers of saeteomin who have difficulty in their school life. In 2005, attendance rates for middle schoolers was 58.4 percent and attendance rates for high schoolers was 10.4 percent. Even more, the dropout rate was 13.7 percent which is ten times higher than the rates of South Korean students. Reasons for these numbers include the lack of education during their time between living in North Korea and South Korea, lack of adjustment to new culture, and placement in schools. [5]
The year 2003 showed 1.9 percent of South Koreans had no feelings towards the new settlers and 58 percent felt compatriotism. The majority of South Koreans expressed no specific connection with their new neighbors, with 1.9 percent feeling distant and 7 percent feeling very friendly. [5] Many saeteomin face the feeling of emotional distance in their new homes. Many reasons for this include language barriers due to English loan words, slang, and the South Korean dialect.
In the years 1999–2003, 66 percent of North Korean settlers were found to be from North Hamgyong Province. Those from this northeastern part of the country have a background of poverty, little education, and unemployment. [6]
An estimated 84,532 South Koreans were taken to North Korea during the Korean War. In addition, South Korean statistics claim that, since the Korean Armistice Agreement in 1953, about 3,800 people have been abducted by North Korea, 489 of whom were still being held in 2006.
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of about 60,000 U.S. households conducted by the United States Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS uses the data to publish reports early each month called the Employment Situation. This report provides estimates of the unemployment rate and the numbers of employed and unemployed people in the United States based on the CPS. A readable Employment Situation Summary is provided monthly. Annual estimates include employment and unemployment in large metropolitan areas. Researchers can use some CPS microdata to investigate these or other topics.
A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have an intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work.
People defect from North Korea for political, material, and personal reasons. Defectors flee to various countries, mainly South Korea. In South Korea, they are referred to by several terms, including "northern refugees" and "new settlers".
Graduate unemployment, or educated unemployment, is unemployment among people with an academic degree.
Filipinos in South Korea have a history dating back to the establishment of South Korea. Many live in Seoul, where they gather in the Hyehwa-dong and Dongsung-dong areas of Jongno-gu.
North Koreans in Russia consist mainly of three groups: international students, guest workers, and defectors and refugees. A 2006 study by Kyung Hee University estimated their total population at roughly 10,000.
Internal migration in the People's Republic of China is one of the most extensive in the world according to the International Labour Organization. This is because migrants in China are commonly members of a floating population, which refers primarily to migrants in China without local household registration status through the Chinese Hukou system. In general, rural-urban migrants are most excluded from local educational resources, citywide social welfare programs and many jobs because of their lack of hukou status. Migrant workers are not necessarily rural workers; they can simply be people living in urban areas with rural household registration.
The bilateral relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have been generally friendly, although they have been somewhat strained in recent years because of North Korea's nuclear program. They have a close special relationship. China and North Korea have a mutual aid and co-operation treaty, signed in 1961, which is currently the only defense treaty China has with any nation. China's relationship with North Korea is its only formal alliance.
Durihana North Korea Mission is a defector aid Christian organization based in South Korea, founded by Pastor Chun Ki-won. The organization assists North Korean defectors escape from North Korea and China, often by helping refugees to pay their "brokers" fee, which allows them to cross borders. The group also provides migrants with temporary hideouts and helps them move to more secure areas. Durihana has been recognized as one of the main South Korean NGOs involved in aiding North Korean defectors in China.
In South Korea, immigration policy is handled by the immigration services of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Nationality Act, Immigration Control Act, Multicultural Families Support Act, and the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners are the foundations of immigration policy in Korea. The Korean government initiated a discussion in 2003 on establishing an independent immigration office to accommodate fast-growing immigrant and to prepare inclusive and rational immigration policies; however, there has been little progress. The Foreigner Policy Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, coordinates foreigner-related policies which were handled by many ministries. However, its role is limited because of a shortage of resources and manpower. The establishment of an Immigration Office is expected to solve these problems by concentrating all related resources and manpower under one umbrella.
Youth unemployment refers to unemployment in young people, usually defined as those aged 15 - 24.
Saejowi (Korean: 새조위), also known as Saejowi Initiative for National Integration, operates in Seoul, South Korea, as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that assists North Korean defectors with settlement in South Korea. Saejowi sponsors programs that provide medical support, job training, and other educational opportunities in order to aid with defector adjustment to South Korean society. Additionally, Saejowi works to encourage civil involvement in the Korean reunification movement, especially among the defector community. The organization hosts programs that facilitate open communication between South Koreans and defectors from North Korea. It has previously worked with the Korean Ministry of Unification, Korea Hana Foundation, and the Community Chest of Korea.
Thailand has become one of the destinations of choice for North Korean defectors aiming to either resettle in third countries, or pass in transit to South Korea. Although the Royal Thai Government does not recognize North Korean escapees as refugees, but rather as illegal economic migrants, the Thai government allows North Koreans illegally entering the country to resettle in South Korea. This is possible because South Korea’s domestic law recognizes that North Koreans are also citizens of South Korea. The Thai government also cites the "conveniently blurred geographical distinctions" between the two Koreas in facilitating the transfer and resettlement process.
Jangmadang are North Korean local markets, farmers' markets, black markets and bazaars. Since the North Korean famine in the 1990s, they have formed a large informal economy, and the government has become more lenient towards them. However, merchants still face heavy regulations. A majority of North Koreans have become dependent on jangmadang for their survival.
The rate of youth unemployment in South Korea fluctuated in the 9–11% range between 2001 and 2014. It was above 10% in 2018 and down to 7.1% by the end of 2019 - the lowest level since 2011.
The unemployment rate in the Republic of Korea as of December 2021 is 3.7 percent. Since its rapid globalization and democratization, the unemployment rate has been comparatively low compared to most OECD countries. This remains the case as of 2021. Being Asia’s fourth-largest economy, the country's booming exports have helped to maintain the unemployment rate very low by the standards of developed countries. There are several measurement differences between the standard of measurement set by the International Labour Organisation and the official measurement of unemployment in the Republic of Korea, set by Statistics Korea, that contribute to an inflated unemployment rate when compared to other countries that abide more strictly by the standard set by the International Labour Organisation.
Immigration to North Korea occurs when Koreans and others move to North Korea and make it their permanent home. Often this is considered a defection because these immigrants have, in the terms of the Cold War, switched allegiance. This group is in contrast to the much larger group of North Korean defectors who have left North Korea.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted migrants throughout the globe. Low-skilled migrants, refugees, and internally-displaced migrants are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. The pandemic has also aggravated the dangers of already-dangerous migration routes. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, international organizations have recorded a spike in human rights abuses suffered by migrants, especially in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The restrictions on travel, imposed as a measure to contain the virus, have resulted in a rise in "stranded migrants," individuals who want to return to their home countries but cannot.
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, that conducts data collection, analysis, and monitoring of human rights violations experienced in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. NKDB not only offers resettlement support, psychological counseling, and educational opportunities, but also advocates for human rights advancement and transitional justice of past human rights violations in the DPRK.