Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

A Longitudinal Study of North Korean Migrant Youth in South Korea (II)

The longitudinal study is to examine the pathways that North Korean immigrant youngsters trace in the life journey at South Korea. Last year the researchers already have conducted the pilot study for the purpose of designing this longitudinal study, which would be implemented from 2011 to 2015. Thus this first-year longitudinal study of North Korean immigrant youth in 2011 focused on consisting the panel group for five years' longitudinal study and examining the characteristics of these participants and factors influencing the adjustment of North Korean migrant youth.

This study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The total number of the participants giving the written consent is 461 North Korean immigrant students, together with their parents and school teachers. They are from the fourth to sixth grade in primary school and from the first to third grade in middle school. Thus all 461 North Korean immigrant students, their parents and school teachers responded questionnaires and 31 students with their parents and school teachers are selected as the in-depth interviewees. For the quantitative analysis, ANOVA, regression analysis, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis were employed.