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Information Needs and Behavior of North Korean Refugees

  • Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
  • 2006, 40(3), pp.121-149
  • Publisher : 한국문헌정보학회
  • Research Area : Interdisciplinary Studies > Library and Information Science

Yong Wan Cho 1

1대구가톨릭대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In recent days North Korean refugees, who hope to move into and settle in South Korea, have been rapidly increasing. However their adaptation to South Korea is reported to have not been so much successful as they expected. Considering such situations, this study attempts to investigate their information needs and behavior. North Korean refugees have various and strong information needs for settlement and daily life. The strongest were information needs related to economic problem, specifically job and business related information needs. It was followed by information needs related to social welfare, health and security, child care and education, and North Korean situation. In order to meet their information needs, North Korean refugees were heavily dependent on informal interpersonal information sources such as their family members, friends, and their own neighborhoods, as compared to such formal interpersonal information sources as public officers, social welfare agents, and NGOs members. Meanwhile, their usage of mass media such as TV, newspapers, and internet as information sources was also heavy. However the overall information environment surrounding them appeared to be relatively inferior to that of average South Koreans.

Citation status

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