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(1) Documentary study
The research team conducted a study of literature and documents with regard to four
main dimensions. It examined (1) research papers on human rights concepts and
approaches of human rights studies, (2) pieces of research that theoretically explored
feminist perspectives and interpretations of human rights, (3) existing studies and
research reports on North Korean human rights, North Korean women, and North
Korean refugee women as well as research papers on North Korean women in general,
(4) memoirs and recorded oral accounts of North Korean refugees as well as various
newsletters etc. relating to the everyday life of North Korean people and their
situation.
(2) In-depth interview study
Selection process of in-depth interview participants
Since it is, in practice, very difficult to study women in North Korea directly, we carried
out an in-depth interview study with North Korean refugees residing in South Korea.
<Stage 1>
Although, ideally, an evenly balanced distribution of demographic and sociological
characteristics (area, occupation, age, education, material status, party member status,
etc.) should be represented in the sample, from a quantitative perspective, the
deviations with regard to area, age, and occupation found in the population of North
Korean refugee women residing in South Korea cannot be easily overcome; moreover,
finding possible interviewees proved difficult in a practical sense. The research team
therefore asked the Sungy Association, an organization affiliated with the National
Police Agency supervising North Korean refugees, to cooperate in the selection of
interviewees. The Sungy Association helped the research team to produce an
appropriate distribution of interviewees with regard to areas and age groups in the
sample by contacting persons by phone to establish two lists for interview phase 1 and
2 and by asking possible interviewees for their consent to participate in the interview
study. As a result of this process, the research team received a list of 74 persons for