정명(正名)의 관점에서 본 북한이탈주민 명칭 고찰 - “2세대 실향민” 명칭을 제안하며 -

Abstract

This study examines the terminology used to refer to individuals who have come from North Korea to South Korea since the Korean War from the perspective of correcting naming (正名, zhengming). In South Korean society, they have been referred to in various ways such as gwisunja (歸順者, defector or person who used to be an enemy), talbukja (脫北者, North Korean defector, those who escaped the north), saeteomin (새터民, new settlers), buk-han ital jumin (北韓離脫住民, North Korean migrant, North Korean escapee), etc. However, these terms have revealed a mechanism that acts to discriminate against and exclude specific targets as negative perceptions of the North Korean regime increase. Consequently, efforts to change the terminology at both governmental and private levels have been made, but they have not been able to overcome the limitation of stigmatizing them. In this context, this paper proposes to refer to these individuals, commonly known as North Korean defectors or refugees, as “second generation displaced people (失鄕民, silhyangmin).” In South Korea society, “displaced people” refer to those who came from the North to the South during the Korean War, and comparing the two, it was confirmed that there are no significant differences in characteristics or attributes between displaced people and North Korean defectors except for the period of the Korean War. However, it is emphasized the need for generational differentiation based on the period of the Korean War for administrative and policy convenience. It is expected that such efforts will contribute to a reevaluation of these individuals who have found a new foundation for their lives and ultimately serve as a catalyst for achieving social integration.