Social Integration of North Korean Defectors in South Korea and Changes in Perceptions of Social Distance by Relationship

Abstract

This study analyzes how attitudes toward North Korean defectors operate differently depending on the context of the relationship, and how these differences affect general perceptions and policy-supporting attitudes. While previous studies have analyzed social distance by consolidating it into a single indicator, this study pays attention to the fact that distance can be formed differently—and its influence can vary—according to the degree of intimacy in social relationships, such as “neighbor” versus “spouse.” In particular, within the sample that responded they “do not mind them as neighbors,” we compared the group that responded they “do mind them as spouses” with the group that did not. The dependent variables include attitudes toward defectors in general, attitudes toward government support policies for defectors, and perceptions of North Korean human rights. The analysis shows that distance in the spousal relationship did not greatly affect general human rights awareness or principle-based acceptance, but it did produce a clear difference in specific policy-supporting attitudes. This study explains this as the operation of “paradoxical tolerance,” whereby tolerance is maintained at an abstract level but distance reasserts itself in areas closely tied to individuals’ lives, leading to negative attitudes.

BibTeX citation

@article{Park:2025,
    Author = {Sanghoon Park, and Young Hoon Song},
    Journal = {Journal of Northeast Asian Studies (JNAS)},
    Number = {2},
    Pages = {137--154},
    Title = {Social Integration of North Korean Defectors in South Korea and Changes in Perceptions of Social Distance by Relationship},
    Volume = {30},
    Year = {2025}}