Health issues of North Korea defectors obstacle to employment

The unemployment rate for North Korean defectors [now living in South Korea] has trended downward in recent years but a significant number of those without jobs struggle due to worsening health.

Shim Jae-kwon, chairman of the [South Korean] National Assembly’s Foreign and Unification Committee, said a recent survey on the economic activities of defectors in 2015 indicate 4 out of 10 unemployed defectors quit their jobs due to health issues.

The South Korean parliamentary budget office said while North Korean defectors receive special health benefits, the patient must pay 70-80 percent of nursing bills and other optional services, a financial disincentive for those who need medical attention.

[UPI]

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid and Relief, North Korean refugee by Grant Montgomery.