Gelombang Pengungsi Korea Utara di Korea Selatan: Politik Domestik, Integrasi dan Permasalahan Sosial

This research attempts to analyze the wave of North Korean refugees to
South Korea and how problems arise on the domestic political level to the
societal level. Waves of refugees have occurred since the division of the
two Koreas through the 38 parallel, which gave rise to defections from
North Korea. Meanwhile, South Korea is perceived as an ideal and safe
place to take shelter. This in turn raised numerous problems explicable
by at least two theoretical frameworks, namely the world system theory
in explaining the desire to migrate, and the multiculturalist paradox,
which explains the emergence of social and cultural frictions. Discourse
on identity and social problems poses a challenge for the South Korean
government. On one hand, North Korean refugees can provide beneficial
information for the government. On the other hand, two social problems
arise, namely the long-term problem for refugees in surviving the mental
and financial burdens, as well as the negative stigma and xenophobia
placed by the South Korean society on the refugees. These are the reasons
why integration remains difficult for refugees.