Housing Refuges: Residential Concentration and Adaptation of North Korean Refugees in Seoul, South Korea

Public Deposited
Analytics

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Request Version for Screen Reader
Last Modified
  • October 22, 2019
Creator
  • Um, Ye-Rin
    • Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of City and Regional Planning
Abstract
  • Involuntary displacement of ethnic groups has been a long-lived phenomenon throughout human history. Constant political instabilities around the world beget groups of people crossing country borders to seek basic needs and protection. With ever more distinct sovereign states and tightened territorial boundaries, these footless people are becoming more visible these days in many countries, often being perceived as burdens on society. One of those fast growing refugee groups is North Koreans.1 While other Southeast and East Asian countries either take a hard line by sending them back to North Korea or simply overlook their existence, the South Korean government maintains an open policy towards them, admitting all identified North Korean refugees into the country based on their deep compatriotism with North Koreans.2 After entry, they are supported by many programs offered by the government, and it is likely that the budgets for these programs will significantly increase as the number of North Korean refugees grows rapidly. Therefore, evaluating the programs' outcomes and seeking ways to improve them become more crucial in promoting integration of North Koreans into South Korea and making sure the resources are not being wasted. This study is designed to aid the evaluation of housing policy towards North Korean refugees, specifically looking at the relationship between the degree of residential concentration of North Korean refugees and their adaptation in South Korea.3 The following sections first discuss the literature on refugee housing and methods used in the study. Next, South Korea's housing policy for North Korean refugees is described, raising the issue of spatial concentration. Then the relationship between residential concentration and the level of adaptation is examined both through qualitative and quantitative analysis. Finally, the implications of the research are discussed and an appropriate direction of the housing policy for North Korean refugees is proposed. Thus, the study intends to contribute to improving housing policies for North Korean refugees in a way that can bring positive adaptation outcomes and enhance stability of the South Korean society. Implications from the study may also shed light on refugee housing issues in other countries.
Date of publication
Subject
DOI
Resource type
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Quercia, Roberto
Degree
  • Master of City and Regional Planning
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduation year
  • 2007
Language
Location
  • Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
Extent
  • 39 p.
Access right
  • Open access
Date uploaded
  • December 10, 2010

Relations

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details Housing_Refuges__Residential_Concentration_and_Adaptation_of_North_Korean_Refugees_in_Seoul__South_Korea.pdf 2019-10-22 Public Download