Male defectors struggle in S.Korean job market | NK News
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September 16, 2026Sep 16, 2026

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Male defectors struggle in S.Korean job market

Female defectors' rate increases, reflecting greater determination and adaptability

Male defectors struggle more with unemployment than female defectors, a South Korean lawmaker revealed Friday.

The unemployment rate among male defectors is getting worse, while female defectors’ rate is improving, though still worse than males’, statistics show.

Kim Young-woo of the ruling Saenuri Party revealed the statistics, which were part of the National Assembly’s annual inspection of the government, including unification and defector settlement policy.

In 2011 male defectors’ employment rate was 61.9 percent, but by 2014 it had decreased to 61.2 percent. Female defectors’ employment rate went in the opposite direction, from 45.5 percent in 2011 to 48.5 percent