Income among North Korean refugees in South Korea: A longitudinal survey

Purpose-In this study we sought to determine factors predicting the income of North Korean refugees as a proxy for economic integration. Design-We conducted a panel survey with an initial sample size of 200 North Korean refugees who completed a government-sponsored training program in South Korea between October 1999 and March 2001, and repeated the survey measures with the same initial cohort in 2004 and 2007, for a sample size of 106 subjects who completed all three surveys. Finding-Using random effects model we found that the most consistent positive predictor for increased income for North Koreans in South Korea was the possession of a technical license, after holding educational attainment, health status, and age and sex constant. Conversely, meeting symptomatic criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was the strongest negative predictor for the income of North Koreans. Lower educational attainment and the presence of chronic disease were also negative predictors for income in random effects models. Practical implications-There are multiple programmatic avenues that may be taken in the post-migration context in order to facilitate the economic integration of North Koreans in South Korea. Originality/Value-Despite the need for evidence-based policymaking, few studies encompassing pre-migration experiences including North Korean refugee health and their effect on economic integration exist, and none use longitudinal methodologies in order to track respondents' trajectories over time and provide evidence of temporality and causation in the interpretation of regression coefficients. In this study we employed a longitudinal design with serial surveys in 2001, 2004, and 2007 in order to understand the demographic characteristics as well as pre-and postmigration experiences as predictors for total monthly income in South Korea. Here we present findings that suggest that there are multiple modifiable predictors of higher earning capital of North Korean refugees, which may be amenable to policy interventions within the Republic of Korea.