Symbolic ethnicity and alternative adaptation among North Korean refugees in the United Kingdom

Bibliographic Data

ID6255804
AuthorsInseo Son (0000-0002-9507-1324, Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University, Seoul, Korea), Hwajin Shin (0000-0003-3987-5528, Hong Kong Baptist University)
Year2025
Publication date2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnicities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-7968 • E-ISSN: 1741-2706
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/14687968251385588
OpenAlexW4414690926
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited49

Prior research underscores the importance of shared group identity among migrants in their adaptation to the host society. For refugees, however, both home and host affiliations may not provide a viable collective identity. Drawing on survey and interview data with North Korean refugees in the United Kingdom, this study identifies struggles to maintain coherent ethnic orientation due to the trauma of displacement, lingering resentment toward the homeland, and perceived hostility from the host society. Findings reveal the enduring nature of refugeehood, where the emotional and symbolic consequences of initial displacement continue to shape their identities in profound and lasting ways. In response, some participants have developed an alternative pan-ethnic identity as “Korean” that transcends the traditional home–host dichotomy. The imagined identity allows them to claim cultural continuity and pride without fully aligning with any single national group, fostering psychosocial stability and promoting adaptive social relationships. These findings highlight the agency of refugees in forging new symbolic identities, illustrating their creative capacity to achieve adaptation in host societies

Korean Peninsula Historical and Political Studies · Migration, Health and Trauma · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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