Examining Factors That Influence Schooling Experiences of Students with North Korean Backgrounds in South Korea

• In Event: Supporting Youth Wellbeing in East Asia

Proposal

Access to quality education not only provides opportunities for (im)migrants and refugees to acquire skills and knowledge as well as recognized qualifications, but it is imperative for living productive, fulfilling, and independent lives in a new social milieu (Dryden-Peterson et al., 2018, UNHCR, 2016). Despite the critical role of education in supporting successful integration of newcomers into the society, school persistence and completion seems far from being reached for school-aged North Koreans living in South Korea as many face myriad challenges in schooling. In this mixed-methods study, we attempt to understand the schooling experiences of children and adults with North Korean backgrounds residing in South Korea and investigate the individual and contextual factors that influence their decision to stay/persist in education or quit school. We ask, What are the factors that influence school persistence and school dropout among students with North Korean backgrounds in South Korea?

Despite the recognition that educational achievement and completion are key to successful integration into South Korean society, North Korean students seem to face myriad challenges in education, which may lead to school dropout, whether permanent or temporary. According to recent literature, the school dropout rate for North Koreans has markedly increased, particularly as they transition from secondary to higher education (Kim, 2021; Yoon, 2020). Many scholars problematized North Korean students’ high dropout rate, which once reached ten times higher than their South Korean counterparts (Ahn, 2010; Chung et al., 2004; Kim, 2021; Park, 2008; Park et al., 2019; Yang & Bae, 2010). According to them, an array of social, linguistic, and academic barriers contributed to permanent or temporary dismissal from the formal education system. Interrupted schooling experience, high pressure to ‘catch up,’ stereotypes and discrimination and language barrier are some of the factors that discouraged North Korean students to excel academically in South Korean schools (Chung et al., 2004; Hong, 2012; Kim & Jeong, 2011; Kum et al., 2004).

This mixed-methods study seeks to investigate the factors that promote or inhibit schooling for students with North Korean backgrounds in South Korea (Alexander et al., 2001; Bradley & Renzulli, 2011; Stearns & Glennie, 2006). Drawing on existing literature school dropout and persistence, we present a conceptual framework that shows the complex interplay of individual, family-related and school-based factors that influence school dropout and persistence of North Korean students. Using online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with North Koreans (aged 12 and above) who have experienced schooling in South Korean formal and alternative education, this study will demonstrate the relationship between students’ backgrounds and a list of individual and contextual factors that influence their decision to persist in education or quit school in South Korea.

As this study aims to advocate for just and inclusive educational futures for those displaced children and adults with North Korean backgrounds in South Korea, we believe that this work is closely aligned with the theme of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) 2024– the power of protest. Highlighting the factors influencing North Korean students’ schooling experiences in South Korea at different education levels, this project aims to contribute to the evidence-building on factors that impact academic success and social integration of displaced children and youth in South Korea. Through this work, we aim to inform policymakers, practitioners, and educators of compounding factors that inhibit academic persistence and performance for North Korean-backgrounds students in South Korea, and advocate for more conducive and supportive learning environments for them.

Authors

• Doo Rhee Lee, The George Washington University

• Jihae Cha, The George Washington University

• InJung Cho, The George Washington University