Record 81 pct of N. Korean defectors say they are 'satisfied' with life in South: survey

▲ This graphic, provided by the Korea Hana Foundation, shows survey results on the economic circumstances of North Korean defectors residing in South Korea, released on Dec. 23, 2025. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

NK defectors-survey

Record 81 pct of N. Korean defectors say they are 'satisfied' with life in South: survey

SEOUL, Dec. 23 (Yonhap) -- A record 81 percent of North Korean defectors living in South Korea said they are "satisfied" with their lives in the South, amid an improvement in their overall economic situation, a survey showed Tuesday.

Of the 2,500 respondents, 81.2 percent said they were happy with their lives in South Korea, the highest figure since recordkeeping began in 2011, according to data from the Korea Hana Foundation, an agency affiliated with the unification ministry.

The employment rate of North Korean defectors in South Korea stood at 61.3 percent this year, up 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier.

During the same period, their jobless rate fell 0.9 percentage point on-year to 5.4 percent, while their economic participation rate increased 0.7 percent point compared with 64.8 percent the previous year.

A foundation official said the gap in major economic data between South Koreans and North Korean defectors here was narrowing in signs that their economic situation has improved.

The discrepancy in the employment and jobless rates of South Korean citizens and North Korean defectors this year had narrowed by 0.9 and 0.7 percentage point, respectively, from a year earlier.

The report was based on a survey of 2,500 North Korean defectors aged 15 and older who arrived in South Korea between January 1997 and December 2024.

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