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2025 Vol.32, Issue 6 Preview Page

Research Article

Thermal Perception and Wearing Habits among North Korean Residents: An Integrated Approach to Living Environments Based on the Experiences of North Korean Defectors

북한 주민의 의생활 및 온열 인식: 북한이탈주민 경험 기반의 의식주 통합 생활환경 접근

Do-Hee Kim1
,
Young-hee Kim2
,
Yeo-Sang Yoon3
,
Jung-Woo Oh45
,
Joo-Young Lee167*
김 도희1
,
김 영희2
,
윤 여상3
,
오 정우45
,
이 주영167*
1Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
2Institute for North Korean Studies, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
3Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, Seoul, Korea
4Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
5Baengnyeong High School, Incheon, Korea
6Department of Fashion and Textiles, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
7Graphene Research Center for Convergence Technology, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Korea
1서울대학교 생활과학연구소
2동국대학교 북한학연구소
3북한인권정보센터
4서울대학교 체육교육과
5백령고등학교
6서울대학교 의류학과
7차세대융기원 그래핀융합기술센터
*Corresponding Author
31 December 2025. pp. 790-813
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Abstract

This study investigated the integrated living environments of North Korean residents through the experiences of North Korean defectors, focusing on generational (Arduous March generation, AMG vs. Jangmadang generation, JMD), sex, and regional (Northern cold, NC; Ryanggang, North Hamgyong, and Jagang vs. Central–southern temperate, CT; Pyongyang, Hwanghae, Pyongan, Kangwon, and South Hamgyong) differences in food, clothing, and housing, as well as changes after migration to South Korea. A total of 183 respondents (50 males, 133 females; 121 AMG, 62 JMD; 133 NC, 50 CT) completed a structured retrospective questionnaire addressing body characteristics, diet, housing and heating conditions, clothing insulation, and thermal perception before and after migration. Body weight, BMI, and body surface area increased significantly after resettlement (all ps < 0.01), reflecting improved nutritional status. While living in North Korea, meal frequency and nutrient intake were higher in the CT than in the NC group, indicating regional disparities in food security. Among the AMG, males’ weight rose from 62.1±9.7 to 65.9±8.4 kg and females’ weight from 50.7±7.2 to 57.4±12.7 kg after migration. NC respondents more often reported wood-fueled ondol heating and group sleeping as adaptive strategies in severe cold, while living in North Korea, whereas CT residents relied more on coal heating (p < 0.01). Indoor thermal underwear use during winter while in North Korea exceeded 80%, suggesting dependence on clothing insulation. The self-identified cold weather threshold increased by 11.0±10.5°C, on average, after migration (p < 0.005), indicating loss of cold acclimatization. These findings provide the first empirical evidence reconstructing how North Koreans adapted to extreme cold, nutritional deprivation, and heating scarcity, offering essential data for health and housing policies toward future reunification.

Keywords
North Korean defectors
Human ecology
Housing and heating
Thermal underwear
Thermal perception
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Living Environmental System
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국생활환경학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of The Korean Society of Living Environmental System
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국생활환경학회
  • Volume : 32
  • No :6
  • Pages :790-813
  • Received Date : 2025-10-30
  • Revised Date : 2025-12-02
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-06
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.21086/ksles.2025.12.32.6.790
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