An Estimation of Supply and Demand for Primary Healthcare Nursing Workforce in the North Korean Region after Korean Reunification / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to estimate supply and demand for nursing workforce to provide community-based primary healthcare in the North Korean region to cost-efficiently narrow the health gap between the two Koreas in case of a Korean reunification. METHODS: To understand the nursing education system and current state of nursing workforce in North Korea, the authors interviewed six North Korean defectors who had worked as nurses in North Korea. Based on the interview results and literature review, the supply and demand for the primary healthcare nursing workforce that would be needed after Korean reunification were estimated RESULTS: Currently, a total of 2,100 to 2,700 North Korean nurses were estimated to have graduated from nursing schools with a 2 year curriculum or completed 6-month military nurse training courses every year. The projected number of nurses in demand to provide primary health care ranged from 84,160 to 105,200 and the shortage would be between 31,586 and 52,626. CONCLUSION: An active utilization of the North Korean nursing workforce to improve the health of North Koreans after reunification will be the best way to reduce the reunification cost which will be inflicted mainly on South Korea.

Review of Adaptation and Mental Health of Refugees and Perspectives and Counterplots in Korean Reunification Process / 신경정신의학

It is anticipated that mass refugees from North Korea can happen in the process of Korean reunification. In this paper, the author reviewed the adaptational and mental health problems of refugees, especially Indochinese refugees, and discussed several topics which could be problems of Korea. Great adaptational differences between social classes in Vietnamese refugees were noted, therefore it is suggested that different resocialization program should be prepared for each social class of North Korea. General problems of refugees are found to be broken family problems, conflict in family due to role conversion, attitude of mass media in dealing with refugees, problems of education for living and difficulties with establishing the effective helping system. Therefore, in the resocialization program, the above problems besides economic support should be considered in Korea. Also, refugees were reported to have severe mental problems especially depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociation, etc. And refugees usually are afraid of expressing their psychiatric problems and meeting with psychiatrists. South Korean psychiatrists should know about the characteristic of North Korean people and develop adequate approaching and interviewing techniques and treatment plan. As the South and North Korea have had very different systems for 50 years, it should be very difficult and important to make the two people adapt and harmonize in new unified society.