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examine epistemological perspectives and ways to approach North Korean human
rights.
② On 17th of June 2009 a round-table was held with North Korean refugee examiner
Kim XX of the National Intelligence Service on ‘North Korean refugee women’s
flight process, conditions of sojourn in third countries, and screening experiences’.
In the round-table talk the research team was given deep insights into the main
routes and means of women’s flight from North Korea via China and other third
countries, the level of risk, problems arising in the course of settlement, diplomatic
treatment of these issues, etc. The research team also learned about the
psychological state of North Korean refugees etc. as perceived through the
experiences of a long-standing examiner.
③ When the research team visited Hanawon for conducting the survey study, a
round-table talk with teachers directly responsible for the education of North
Korean refugees was held. The meeting allowed us to learn about North Korean
refugee women’s mentality and attitude towards life, about their difficulties, etc.
through the experiences the teachers gained in the course of the education
programme. We heard various views especially on the need for psychological
treatment of the traumas North Korean refugee women had suffered in the flight
process, as well as on the life experiences and psychological conflicts North Korean
refugee women encounter in the course of their resettlement in South Korea.
(6) Research forums
After the start of the research project, the research team held monthly research
forums (5 altogether) in which all researchers participated.
① Discussion of the overall research process and distribution of work (15th April)
② Discussion of problematic points in existing fact-finding studies on North Korean
human rights and tasks for problem-solving (15th May)