Suggesting an education program for successful adjustment of North Korean refugee adolescents to South Korean public school: through an analysis of ‘Creative Theater Workshop’ program of the Set-Net school.

Abstract

This study examines an education program of the Set-Net school, ‘Creative Theater Workshop’, designed for addressing North Korean refugee adolescents’ psychological distress. The study attempts to answer the question of whether or not the education program is effective in dealing with the psychological distress. By answering the question, the study seeks to give an insight into a specialized program which is necessary to facilitate the refugee adolescents’ successful adjustment to South Korean public school. As data for analyzing, the study makes use of official documents about the education program published by the Set-Net school and one semi-structured interview with a teacher who is in charge of the education program. Also, the study explores the theory of drama therapy and, additionally, the parasocial interaction in order to build theoretical framework. The study findings show that North Korean refugee students of the Set-Net school went through traumatic events in the past and they suffered from mental sufferings such as loneliness, identity crisis and depression while resettling in South Korea. But, the findings indicate that the refugee students enjoy several therapeutic processes through the Creative Theater Workshop. As a result, as the findings demonstrate, the refugee students improve their hurt dignity and self-worth, and achieve confidence. Further, they begin to seek their dreams and meanings in the South Korean society. Therefore, this study concludes that the education program is, to a large extent, effective in addressing the psychological distress of the refugee students.