Study: Disillusionment with SKorea life cause of stress for defectors

GWANGJU, South Korea, June 19 (UPI) -- North Korean defectors living in South Korea experience above-average stress in their daily lives, a study found.

Lee Seon-mi, a lecturer at South Korea's Chonnam National University, studied a group of 180 North Korean defectors residing in Gwangju, South Korea, South Korean television network SBS reported. Her research was published in an academic journal specializing in diaspora.

Lee said the defectors she studied experienced greatest stress in their everyday lives marked by strong homesickness.

The South Korean researcher employed a scale of 1 to 5 to measure the stress level of defectors, with 5 indicating the highest level of stress, and 1 the least.

On average, the defectors registered 3.19, or slightly high stress levels when it came to homesickness.

Culture shock in South Korea was also a frequently cited source of defector anxiety, which registered an average score of 2.88 on the researcher's scale, followed by stress due to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, at 2.83.

Defectors did not feel the quality of their lives in South Korea measured up to their standards, another source of stress that registered 3.16, higher than the stress originating from PTSD.

Lee's study subjects felt their physical and mental health were a source of concern as well, each registering 3.2 on the stress scale. Lack of healthy friendships, too, were a contributing factor to higher than average stress levels for defectors.

Interestingly, defectors registered an above average level of self-esteem, according to the study.

In her paper, Lee recommended South Korea take public measures against the epidemic of North Korean homesickness and ramp up efforts to help the new arrivals in the adjustment process.

More social support is needed, she said.