The Experience of the One-Person Household among the North Korean Refugees in South Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of one-person household among North Korean refugees to better understand a background of occurrence, their difficulties in adaptation and coping in South Korea. Based on qualitative research, the main method of research is the in-depth interview. The subject of the interview are 9 one-person household among North Korean refugees. For data analysis, Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was used. There were 62 concepts, 14 sub-categories and 5 categories extracted from the results of the analysis. Those 5 categories were ‘Change in the family relationship as one-person household among the North Korean refugees in South Korea’, ‘difficulty in independency as one-person household in South Korea’, ‘interpersonal relationship to a strategic coping for survival’, ‘psychological resources’, ‘effort to adapt social and cultural atmosphere’. Based on the results, some implications were discussed and suggestions were provided for policy and program development for the North Korean one-person household.