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Research Article

Peripheral Cold Tolerance of North Korean Defectors: Cold-Induced Vasodilation in the Fingers of the Arduous March and Jangmadang Generations

북한이탈주민의 세대별 국소내한성: 고난의 행군 세대와 장마당 세대의 손가락 한랭혈관반응을 중심으로

Do-Hee Kim1
,
Ho-Joon Lee2
,
Kayoung Cho2
,
Maria Stenkina1
,
Jung-Woo Oh34
,
Joo-Young Lee125*
김 도희1
,
이 호준2
,
조 가영2
,
Maria Stenkina1
,
오 정우34
,
이 주영125*
1Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Fashion and Textiles, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
3Baengnyeong High School, Incheon, Korea
4Department of Physical Education, College of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
5Graphene Research Center for Convergence Technology, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Korea
1서울대학교 생활과학연구소
2서울대학교 의류학과
3백령고등학교
4서울대학교 체육교육과
5차세대융기원 그래핀융합기술센터
*Corresponding Author
28 February 2026. pp. 13-28
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Abstract

This study investigated cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) responses in the fingers of North Korean defectors, focusing on generational differences between the Jangmadang (JMD) and Arduous March generations (AMG). Twenty-four subjects (14 males, 10 females; 14 JMD, 10 AMG) participated in a 60-min trial, which consisted of 10-min rest, 30-min cold water immersion at 4.0 ± 0.1°C, and 20-min recovery. CIVD parameters including minimum finger temperature (Tmin), onset time (tonset), maximum finger temperature (Tmax), mean finger temperature (Tmean), amplitude, frequency, and resistance index of frostbite (RIF) were analyzed. AMG showed significantly higher Tmax compared to JMD (14.2 vs. 11.9°C, P = 0.049), while other CIVD parameters showed no significant differences. Notably, all subjects achieved the maximum RIF score of 9 points, indicating superior local cold tolerance compared to general population norms (5-6 points). Body mass index, body weight, and waist circumference showed significant positive correlations with Tmin (r = 0.574, 0.420, and 0.566, respectively) and negative correlations with tonset. AMG reported significantly lower finger cold sensation at 50 min (P = 0.008). These findings suggest that both generations possess exceptional peripheral cold tolerance, with AMG demonstrating enhanced vasodilatory capacity, likely attributable to prolonged cold exposure during formative years. This study provides foundational evidence for understanding human cold adaptation mechanisms under extreme environmental conditions.

Keywords
North Korean defectors
Hunting reaction
Cold acclimatization
Deacclimatization
Local adaptation
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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 : 33
  • No :1
  • Pages :13-28
  • Received Date : 2026-01-02
  • Revised Date : 2026-02-10
  • Accepted Date : 2026-02-12
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.21086/ksles.2026.2.33.1.013
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