{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,28]],"date-time":"2025-04-28T08:10:02Z","timestamp":1745827802513,"version":"3.40.4"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"The Ewha Medical Journal, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,10]],"date-time":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1744243200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/3.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Human Rights Commission of Korea"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["e-emj.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ewha Med J"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: This study aimed to identify the types of human rights violations and the associated psychological trauma experienced by North Korean defectors. It also examined the impact of trauma on the defectors\u2019 interpersonal relationships, employment, and overall quality of life, while evaluating existing psychological support policies to suggest potential improvements.Methods: A multidisciplinary research team conducted an observational survey and in-depth interviews with approximately 300 North Korean defectors residing in South Korea from June to September 2017. Standardized measurement tools, including the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL-5), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and Short Form-8 Health Survey (SF-8), were employed. Statistical analyses consisted of frequency analysis, cross-tabulation, factor analysis, and logistic regression.Results: The findings revealed a high prevalence of human rights violations, such as public executions (82%), forced self-criticism (82.3%), and severe starvation or illness (62.7%). Additionally, there were elevated rates of PTSD (56%), severe depression (28.3%), anxiety (25%), and insomnia (23.3%). Defectors who resided in China before entering South Korea reported significantly worse mental health outcomes and a lower quality of life. Moreover, trauma was strongly and negatively correlated with social adjustment, interpersonal relationships, employment stability, and overall well-being.Conclusion: An urgent revision of existing policies is needed to incorporate specialized, trauma-informed care infrastructures within medical institutions. Furthermore, broad societal education to reduce stigma and enhance integration efforts is essential to effectively support the psychological well-being and social integration of North Korean defectors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.12771\/emj.2025.00367","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,10]],"date-time":"2025-04-10T01:31:45Z","timestamp":1744248705000},"page":"e28","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12771\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Status of human rights violations and trauma among North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.12771","volume":"48","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9005-3207","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"So Hee","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6602-8781","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Won Woong","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0552-2014","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Haewoo","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7703-0505","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jin Yong","family":"Jun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5172-4023","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jin-Won","family":"Noh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"4998","reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s0749-3797(00)00282-8"},{"volume-title":"Development of a trauma scale for North Korean defectors [master\u2019s thesis]","year":"2000","author":"Kang","key":"ref2"},{"volume-title":"Validation and development of a Post-Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale for dislocated North Koreans in South Korea. Korean J Couns Psychother [Internet]","year":"2007","author":"Yoon","key":"ref3"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4306\/jknpa.2015.54.1.105"},{"volume-title":"Survey on human rights violations experienced by North Korean women during the defection and resettlement process [Internet]","year":"2009","author":"Park","key":"ref5"},{"volume-title":"A qualitative study of North Korea women defectors\u2019 adaptation to South Korean life. Korean J Woman Psychol [Internet]","year":"2005","author":"Cho","key":"ref6"},{"volume-title":"The professional counseling system for North Korean defectors support foundation lacks rigor. Focus Economy [Internet]","year":"2016","author":"Lee","key":"ref7"},{"volume-title":"Mutual perception of North Korean defectors and South Korean residents: focusing on identity and socio-cultural adaptation [Internet]","year":"2010","author":"Yoon","key":"ref8"}],"container-title":["Ewha Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/e-emj.org\/upload\/pdf\/emj-2025-00367.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/e-emj.org\/journal\/view.php?doi=10.12771\/emj.2025.00367","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/e-emj.org\/upload\/pdf\/emj-2025-00367.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,28]],"date-time":"2025-04-28T07:43:33Z","timestamp":1745826213000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/e-emj.org\/journal\/view.php?doi=10.12771\/emj.2025.00367"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]]},"references-count":8,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12771\/emj.2025.00367","relation":{},"ISSN":["2234-3180","2234-2591"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"2234-3180"},{"type":"electronic","value":"2234-2591"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,30]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-04-01","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-04-03","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-04-10","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published online","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-04-30","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Print publication","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}