Social Distance towards the North Korean Refugees in South Korean Society

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence social distance towards North Korean refugees in South Korea. A survey was conducted in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and the data of 400 South Koreans were used for the final analysis. The variables examined were gender, age, educational level, monthly household income, national identity, support for expanding publicwelfare, perception of income inequality, and political orientation. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with social distance of the South Koreans towards North Korean refugees. The analysis of influential variables on social distance of South Koreans towards North Korean refugees showed that the higher the educational level, the more distant they feel towards North Korean refugees, and the more monthly income, the closer they feel, the stronger national identity is, the more distant they feel towards North Korean refugees, and the more agreeable they are to expanding social welfare, the closer they feel towards North Korean refugees. The implications of these influential factors and methods to dose the social distance towards North Korean refugees in South Korean society are discussed.