Experiences of Higher Education and the Meaning of 'University' for Women who Crossed Boundaries: Focusing on the Case of North Korean Defector Women in the Two Koreas’ Higher education

The purpose of this study is to examine the higher education experiences of North Korean defector women who have crossed both national borders and the boundary between life and death, focusing on their academic journeys in North and South Korea and the significance of their achievements in the South. This research involved a case study of three women who pursued higher education in both countries. For these women, re-entering university in South Korea was not only a proactive choice but also a reaction against their irreversible educational experiences in North Korea. It served as a defensive strategy against the structures of discrimination they encountered in South Korean society and provided a period of deferred assimilation, allowing them to adopt an identity as ‘learners’ in pursuit of their academic aspirations. Although they had successfully escaped the visible oppression of the North Korean regime, they found themselves in a new, invisible but equally powerful structure under the principles of capitalism, where they felt the need to continuously prove and equip themselves. In this context, returning to university was a deliberate choice to integrate into South Korean society, fully aware of and accepting the social emphasis on educational attainment and credentials. Through this process, they sought to secure the qualifications necessary for social acceptance and recognition in their new country.