[Defectors' Emergency Landing] ① The Unification That Came First? The 'Korean Dream' Collapsed by Poverty

Harsh 'Economic Poverty' as High Hopes Deflate
33,857 North Korean Defectors Entered South Korea as of September
Average Monthly Wage 2,277,000 KRW... Level of 2nd Income Quintile
Jobs Found Quickly but Short Employment Duration
70% of Defectors Are Women... Much More Vulnerable to Social Integration

Editor's NoteThere was a time when the expression "unification that came first" attracted attention to refer to North Korean defectors. It fully reflected the government's will regarding the top priority task that "the settlement of North Korean defectors is unification." However, North Korean defectors who escaped oppression and came to South Korea are still treated as "outsiders." Why did the desperate expectations, strong enough to risk their lives and leave their hometowns, collapse? This article examines the difficulties faced by North Korean defectors who landed in the South and seeks alternatives.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Last month, a woman in her 40s who was a North Korean defector was found dead in a skeletal state in a rental apartment in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, causing a great shock. This woman had been introduced in the media as a successful case of settling in South Korea, but she was found wearing winter clothes, suggesting that her body had been left unattended for nearly a year after death. This clearly revealed that she was in a blind spot of attention. Earlier, in July 2019, a North Korean defector mother and child in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, died of starvation in extreme poverty. The government support they received before their deaths was reportedly only about 100,000 won per month in child-rearing allowances.

The biggest reason why the epithet "unification that came first" has become meaningless is "economic poverty." The challenges of "low wages" and "unemployment" that we are already experiencing are much more severe for North Korean defectors. In particular, women, who account for more than 70% of defectors, are analyzed to be more vulnerable.

North Korean Defector Graphic [Image Source=Yonhap News]

According to the 2021 North Korean Defectors Settlement Status Survey by the South-North Hana Foundation, submitted by Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, the average monthly wage of defectors last year was 2,277,000 won, an increase of about 110,000 won compared to the previous year. However, compared to the average monthly income of domestic wage workers, which is 3,271,000 won, it is 1 million won less. It is even lower than the estimated average monthly income of disabled wage workers, who are considered a vulnerable group, at 2,304,300 won.

Also, in the Foundation's "North Korean Defectors Settlement Status Survey and Social Integration Survey," the annual income of defector households was 33.25 million won last year. More than one-fifth of households reported an income of over 50 million won, indicating some improvement. However, for a more direct comparison, applying the 2020 annual household income (30.172 million won) to the 2021 Household Finance and Welfare Survey by Statistics Korea based on the current year's household income, defector income is estimated to correspond to the 2nd quintile (median 29.49 million won) in the quintile index. The 2nd quintile refers to the 21-40% lower income level.

Gender differences were not considered here. Women account for over 70% of defectors. According to the Ministry of Unification, as of the end of September, the number of North Korean defectors who entered the country was 33,857, of which 9,492 (28%) were men and 24,365 (72%) were women. The average three-month wage for male defectors is 3,067,000 won, but for females, it is 1,962,000 won, showing a large gap. This barely exceeds last year's minimum wage (monthly basis) of 1,822,480 won.

The government supports education, employment, housing, and other needs for the initial settlement of North Korean defectors under the Act on Protection and Settlement Support for North Korean Defectors. It provides a settlement fund of 8 million won for single-person households, employment incentives (18 million won in the metropolitan area, 21 million won in other regions), and housing support of 16 million won. Defectors who set foot in South Korea go through the North Korean Defectors Settlement Support Office (Hana Center) and receive various education necessary to live in Korean society. After moving to their place of residence, they receive personal protection and other support from the police and local governments for five years.

The "job-seeking and retention period" indicators also reveal economically unstable lives. The government emphasized that the job-seeking rate within four months is 84.3%. Taken literally, it seems that defectors are quickly finding jobs and settling down.

However, the proportion of defectors who quit their jobs within three years of employment is 69.4%, and especially, those who worked less than four months exceed two out of ten. The average retention period for defectors is 31 months, which is less than half of the average retention period of 70 months.

Looking at defectors' jobs by occupation, the instability becomes clearer. Simple labor workers account for 26.8%, and service workers 17.8%. These two occupations alone make up nearly half. Compared to the 2021 annual employment trends, simple labor workers among the general population are 13.9%, and service workers 11.4%, much lower. The difference is close to double at most.

Given this situation, unemployment remains a challenge. The unemployment rate for the general population is 3.5%, while for defectors it is 7.5%, more than double. Narrowing down to women, it rises to 8.7%. The unemployment rate for general women is about 4.0%.

Experts analyze that the economic difficulties faced by defectors reflect the problems of our society in an intensified form. The issues of "women" and "unemployment" are representative.

Professor Yoon In-jin of the Department of Sociology at Korea University pointed out, "Research results show that the experience of skipping meals due to lack of money or not receiving medical treatment due to the burden of hospital bills among defectors is three times that of the general population," adding, "The employment rate of female defectors is lower than that of marriage immigrant women, and they are vulnerable not only in physical health but also in mental health." He continued, "Especially, women, who make up the majority of defectors, have low levels of social integration in employment and health fields. The barriers preventing their participation in economic activities are health problems and the burden of childbirth and child-rearing," suggesting, "It is necessary to actively establish appropriate medical services and childbirth and child-rearing support systems for female defectors."