Nowon-gu Rolls Up Sleeves to Support Self-Reliance and Settlement of North Korean Defectors

Full Support for Vocational Training (Caregiver) Tuition Fees and Visiting Learning Expenses for Migrant Children Starting This Year
Helping Economic Independence and Stable Settlement Through the Program

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) has embarked on building a foundation to increase the settlement satisfaction of North Korean defectors and support their stable self-reliance within the local community.

Currently, Nowon-gu is home to about 1,120 North Korean defectors, the largest number among Seoul’s autonomous districts. This accounts for 15.9% of all defectors in Seoul.

Last March, the district conducted a living condition survey to identify the practical needs of defectors. A total of 431 respondents indicated that employment, acquiring technical certifications, and medical support were their highest priorities.

In response, the district recognized the importance of systematic management of employment support, including tailored job creation, to help defectors settle in the community, and began preparing institutional support measures.

First, starting this year, the district will fully cover vocational training tuition fees as part of its employment support program. This aims to help defectors obtain essential certifications and enhance their employment competitiveness.

To this end, the district plans to fully support individual academy fees for obtaining caregiver certifications. A total of 12 beneficiaries will be selected through the Northern Hana Center between February and March this year.

Additionally, the district will implement an education support project for children of defectors. These children often face difficulties in language comprehension and learning due to linguistic and cultural differences between North and South Korea.

Accordingly, starting next year, the district will provide one-on-one home tutoring tailored to the recipients’ levels. The support targets preschool and elementary school children, who will receive weekly visits for subjects such as Korean and mathematics.

Furthermore, physical and emotional difficulties will be addressed through a visiting medical support program. The district currently operates health checkups and one-on-one customized counseling programs for defectors who first move from Hana Center to Nowon-gu. Health checkups and counseling programs linked with public health centers include body measurements, basic blood tests, examinations, and consultations. For those requiring detailed examinations, secondary hospital referral programs are also being promoted.

In addition, to establish stable living support measures, the district conducts an annual living condition survey of North Korean defectors and holds biannual meetings of the North Korean Defector Support Regional Council and Working Council, composed of the district office and related organizations.

Moreover, through a network linking the Northern Hana Center and local community service centers, the district shares cases of individuals in crisis and discusses collaborative support plans, implementing various support projects.

Notably, last year, the district provided a total of about 23,000 masks in two rounds to defectors who had difficulty purchasing masks due to COVID-19.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok stated, “With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, this is a time when interest and support for North Korean defectors are more necessary than ever. We will continue to do our best to help residents settle stably in the community through diverse support policies.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.