부부를 중심으로 한 북한이탈주민의 한국 사회 적응 경험에 관한 질적 연구

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of life and the marital system dynamics experienced by North Korean defector couples during their adaptation to South Korean society. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with four North Korean defector couples (a total of eight participants) who had settled in South Korea. The collected data were analyzed using Glaser (1978)’s grounded theory approach. The findings revealed four major themes characterizing the couples’ experiences of social adaptation. First, migration to an unfamiliar and previously unexpected place, represented the starting point of adaptation, centered on establishing the foundations for survival. Second, family as a difficult yet endurable refuge, illustrated how the marital relationship functioned not only as a source of emotional support but also as a crucial social support system sustaining everyday life. Third, evolving through trauma and discrimination toward differentiation demonstrated how the hardships of defection and ongoing prejudice in South Korea acted as continuous barriers to successful integration. Finally, redefining family through shared survival elucidated the way couples re-establish the significance of their marriage and family through role shifts and the mending of relationships These findings suggest that the social adaptation of North Korean defectors in South Korea extends beyond institutional adjustment or material stabilization. Rather, it is an ongoing process of reconstructing life and relationships, centered on the couple, amid the enduring impact of defection experiences and the demands of a new social environment. This study offers implications for future social work practice and policy development that adopt a couple-centered approach to supporting North Korean defectors.