The Korean Security Police s Perception towards NORTH KOREAN Refugees: Gender and Age

Purpose: This study has examined and validated the differences in the perceptions towards North Korean refu-gees among the police officers of the South Korean security police organization in charge of the North Korean refugees at a point in time where North Korean are entering South Korea due to the recent economic downfall of North Korea, and through which, has explored the security police s perception towards the North Korean refugees. In particular, this study focused on how the perception towards the North Korean refugees differs as per the gen-der and age of the security police officers in connection with the adaptation of the North Korean refugees in South Korea. Method: In this study, to examine and validate how the perception towards the North Korean refugees varies by the gender and age of the police officers in the security police department, a survey was conducted by using the self-administration method targeting 100 trainees of the Police Human Resources Development Institute, which is the police training institution of Korea, among the police officers of the security department experienced in the work related to the North Korean refugees by recruiting Korean police officers in 2020. As for the analytical method, the frequency analysis, t-test, and the one way ANOVA were performed. Results: In Q-1 “North Korean refugees are satisfied with their lives in South Korea” and Q-27 “Understanding vocational training is the most necessary education for North Korean refugees to adapt to the South Korean socie-ty,” and in Q-1(2.5902±.66776) and Q-27(3.3443±.68032), men turned out to be higher than women at the sig-nificance level of 5%. Subsequently, in Q-21 “The reason the North Korean refugees visit South Korean police sta-tions is because they have been defrauded or assaulted by someone,” those in their 20s(3.8571±.37796) turned out to be higher than those in their 40s(3.0333±.66868) at the significance level of 5%. Conclusion: Among the South Korean police officers, men perceived more than women that the North Korean refugees are satisfied with their lives in South Korea, and vocational training is an important education necessary for them to adapt to their lives in South Korea. Furthermore, police officers in their 20s perceived more than those in their 40s that the North Korean refugees have been defrauded or assaulted by someone.