A South Korean scholar on Wednesday unveiled a survey of North Koreans – and not defectors – to learn more about changes in their identities and values due to the trend of marketization.

Yang Moon-soo of the University of North Korean Studies presented his recent research, conducted in March-June 2015, at an event entitled “North Koreans’ Mind,” organized by, the university.

“This research was conducted on 100 North Koreans who had been dispatched to a foreign country, in order to grasp the tendency toward materialization and individualization among North Koreans,” Yang said.

The research was conducted on these subjects rather