Satisfaction of North Koreans living in Seoul compared to South Korean counterparts

North Koreans who have escaped from their Stalinist state and are now fortunate enough to be living in South Korea are indeed treated differently than their South Korean cousins. For one, the salary paid to a North Korean in Seoul will likely be one third less than what a South Korean earns. Far more North Korean transplants live in poverty in South Korea.

On the other hand, according to a 2007 study by the Korea Peace Institute, the average monthly salary for a North Korean who has lived in South Korea for more than seven years has increased steadily, from $374 (in 2001) to $710 (2004) to $1047 (2007).

When the North Koreans were asked to grade the level of satisfaction they felt with their lives, based on the categories of physical conditions, mental state and social and physical environment, North Koreans attached a considerable higher rating to their quality of life than did South Koreans living in the same environment.

Out of a perfect score of 5, North Korean defectors graded their lives in South Korea at 3.43out of 5, on average higher than what South Koreans gave.