A Qualitative Investigation of Cross-Group Friendship Between South Korean Hosts and North Korean Refugees

• In Event: 25.084 - MTCC Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: 25.084-9 - International Networks for Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The present study took a consensual qualitative research approach to explore young South Korean hosts’ friendship experience with North Korean refugees and its impact on their perception of the refugee population, North Korea, and prospective Korean unification. Eleven South Korea-born and –raised college students, who self-reportedly have ever formed friendship with at least one North Korean refugee, participated in semi-structured interviews and short descriptive surveys. A cross-analysis of the interview data yielded 5 primary domains: (a) initial occasion to meet NK refugee friend(s), (b) feelings and thoughts about friendship with NK refugee(s), (c) friendship-induced changes in perceptions of NK refugee population, (d) friendship-induced changes in perceptions of North Korea, (e) friendship-induced changes in perceptions of Korean unification.

Authors

• Hwayeon Myeong, University of Washington - Seattle

• Ahlam Lee, Xavier University

• Dahye Kim, Ewha Womans University