Defectors feel ill-treated

More than six out of 10 North Korean defectors living in South Korea feel discriminated against at their workplace while half also believe they are paid less than their South Korean colleagues, a study showed yesterday.
The National Human Rights Commission said there were no serious violations of the human rights of North Koreans who settled in the country, but said the defectors feel they are often discriminated against because of their origin.
The finding came in a report that included a survey of 500 North Koreans now living in the South. Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed also said they felt ostracized by their colleagues at work.
The report said the findings provided some evidence of continued discrimination against North Korean defectors at workplaces, but said the problem also arose from the North Koreans’ lack of job experience and education.