North Korea’s policy toward South Korea and national unification and the tasks for North Korean defectors’ settlement support policies and education

This study looked at changes in North Korea’s policy toward South Korea and national unification and examined the North Korean defectors’ settlement support policy and educational challenges raised here. North Korea's ‘Hostile Two-State Policy’ and the transition of policy toward South Korea and national unification will remain for a considerable period of time, whether internal or external. For the unification of the Korean Peninsula, various forms of unified state, such as coalitions and federations, including a single state, should be discussed based on the ‘National Community Unification Plan'. The South Korean government established ‘North Korean Defectors Day' as a national anniversary and announced the‘August 15 Unification Doctrine'. Based on the analysis of this situation and the actual condition of North Korean defectors, the settlement support policy and education tasks for them were derived. First, it is necessary to maintain national bonds at the psycho-emotional level while recognizing North Korean defectors as equal citizens not only legally and politically but also socially and culturally. Second, it is necessary to improve the settlement support system in consideration of the entry trend and demographic characteristics of North Korean defectors. It is necessary to establish policies for customized support according to the life cycle, support for the marginalized and vulnerable, and support for the integration of North and South Koreans. Third, a family-level support policy should be established that can increase the possibility and expectations of raising the status of themselves and their children's generation. Fourth, the transformation of our society's perception and communication exchanges in the local community should be expanded.