and Zimbabwe have disproportionately affected vulnerable civilian populations and have been complicated by political restrictions on humanitarian access. 1 In areas frequently embroiled in war and political instability, aid agencies often face the challenge of negotiating with militant authorities in order to secure access. This is not a new problem. The challenge of negotiating access with mil...

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted at Hanawon-a government sponsored educational facility for the settlement of North Korean refugees during their initial phase in South Korea-in 2004 to explore their mental health status and traumatic experiences in North Korea and during their escape period. METHODS A survey was conducted in November 2004 with 62 North Korean refugees at Hanawon, and the Tr...

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate North Korean refugees' knowledge of mental illnesses and treatments and analyze the factors affecting this knowledge. METHODS Subjects were selected via a snowball sampling method, and the survey outcomes of 152 North Korean refugee participants were analyzed. The factors affecting knowledge of mental illnesses were analyzed via a regression analysis...

OBJECTIVE This study aims to observe the factors that influence the development of national identity of North Korean refugees who have resettled in South Korea. METHODS The study population was comprised of 500 North Korean refugees who immigrated to South Korea in 2007. The variables measured national identity as South Korean, a scale for discrimination perceived during daily life, a social ...

Economic integration between North and South Korea occurs through three modalities: traditional arm’s-length trade and investment, processing on commission (POC) trade, and operations within the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC). In order, these three modalities are characterized by decreasing exposure of South Korean fi rms to North Korean policy and infrastructure. Th rough a survey of 200 Sou...

Despite sharing a cultural and historical background with South Koreans, North Korean defectors have difficulty integrating within South Korean society. This paper seeks to address the factors in South Korean society that make integration difficult for defectors. Specifically, what is the relationship between education and the formation of values and attitudes of South Koreans towards North Kor...

BACKGROUND Age at menarche is known to be regulated by genetic and environmental factors. To date, no menarcheal data are available on North Korean women. In this cross-sectional survey, we investigated age at menarche and its possible influencing factors in North Korean refugees. METHODS Four hundred and eleven North Korean refugees were surveyed at a North Korean female refugee camp using a...