Quality of Life of North Korean Defectors in South Korea

Min, Sung Kil; Jeon, Woo Taek; Kim, Dong Kee

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was designed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of North Korean defectors in South Korean society and to identify factors influencing their quality of life.
METHODS
Subjects consisted of 151 defectors. Instruments were Korean version of WHOQOL-Bref, a questionnaire for demographic data, Beck Depression inventory (DBI) and part of PTSD of Korean version of SCID.
RESULTS
Generally QoL of the subjects was relatively higher in relations to domains of psychological and physical health, and facets of negative feeling, transportation, mobility, physical pain and discomfort, personal belief, health and social care, work capacity, self-esteem, and thinking ability. However, QoL was relatively lower in environment domain and lowest in facets of financial resource, leisure activities and opportunity for new information and skills. A higher QoL was related to living with a spouse, having a job, having higher income and religious faith. A lower QoL was related to older age, having larger family, physical diseases, depression and PTSD. Path analysis showed that physical health and psychological domains directly influenced overall QoL while other domains influenced overall QoL indirectly.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that, to improve QoL of defectors, support in providing job and leisure activities, health service, especially mental heath service, and education program for new information and skills are needed.