Exploring the Meaning of Parenting Experiences in North Korean Defector Families

Abstract

This study explores through in-depth interviews the sociocultural differences in parenting experiences among three North Korean defector families with young children. The findings show that parents face the dual burden of sustaining livelihoods and raising children amid economic vulnerability and social prejudice while negotiating differences between a disciplined parenting culture of North Korea for an autonomous and child-centered culture of South Korea. They reflected critically on their past experiences and selectively adjusted their parenting practices reconstructing parental roles and family relationships in the new setting. Mothers continue to carry substantial caregiving and economic responsibilities while actively acquiring new parenting knowledge, whereas fathers strive to move beyond traditional authoritarian roles through greater caregiving and emotional involvement with their children. This study highlights the agency of North Korean defector parents in reconstructing parenting practices within diverse life histories, family structures, and sociocultural contexts and suggests the need for parent education and childcare support tailored to different stages of settlement.