Establishment of the North Korean
Refugees Safety Support Team to provide faster and more comprehensive support
February 7, 2022
The ROK Government will begin operations of the North Korean Refugee
Safety Support Team on Monday, February 7th.
The Government has worked to improve the settlement support system
for North Korean defectors by strengthening the daily-life oriented
support program to assist defectors’ ability to self-support, while
also making efforts to provide support for vulnerable defector households.
Despite these efforts, cases of North Korean defectors experiencing
difficulties in the settlement process can be observed. Furthermore,
as such hardships are intricated in economic, social and psychological
aspects, discovering those vulnerable at early stages is not an easy task.
Accordingly, the Government has undergone consultations among
related agencies and have set up a team to promote safety support for
North Korean defectors at a comprehensive level. The team will
officially launch in late February.
Prior to the official launch, the North Korean Refugees Safety
Support Team comprised of nine members from the Unification Ministry
and related agencies will begin operations starting February 7.
The Safety Support Team will perform tasks such as preventing crisis
situations, conducting surveys of vulnerable households and providing
necessary support, and protecting the place of residence of North
Korean defectors.
Through the operation of the North Korean Refugees Safety Support
team, the Government will actively support defectors to allow for a
more stable support process into our society.
