A view of Hanawon in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. Hanawon serves as a resettlement support center for North Korean defectors. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Unification)
SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — A record share of North Korean defectors living in South Korea say they are satisfied with their lives, reflecting steady gains in employment and income that are narrowing long-standing economic gaps with the broader population, according to a government-affiliated survey released Tuesday.
About 81 percent of respondents said they were happy with their lives in the South, the highest level recorded since such surveys began in 2011, data from the Korea Hana Foundation showed. The foundation, which supports the resettlement of defectors, surveyed 2,500 people aged 15 and older.
The improved outlook appears closely tied to better labor-market outcomes. The employment rate among defectors rose to 61.3 percent this year, up 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent, a decline of 0.9 percentage point. Economic participation also increased, edging up to 65.5 percent.
This file photo, taken Dec. 1, 2023, shows North Korean defectors looking for information at a job fair for such refugees held at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Officials said the data point to a gradual convergence with South Korea’s overall workforce. The gaps in employment and unemployment rates between defectors and South Korean citizens narrowed by 0.9 and 0.7 percentage point, respectively, compared with last year.
“The difference in key economic indicators is shrinking,” a foundation official said, adding that the trend suggests a broad improvement in the living standards of defectors as they settle into South Korean society.
The survey covered North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea between January 1997 and December 2024, offering a snapshot of a population that has often struggled with language barriers, credential recognition and social integration.
While challenges remain, the findings suggest that for many defectors, economic stability — long seen as the biggest hurdle to successful resettlement — is becoming more attainable, contributing to higher levels of overall life satisfaction.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
