Roundtable co-hosted by the Centre for Korean Studies and the Migration Research Group at the University of Sheffield

12.00-13.30

This roundtable brings together a variety of expertise and experience from Korea and the UK, to discuss the issue of North Korean refugee settlement in the UK, Europe and South Korea. Over 34,000 North Koreans have escaped to South Korea over the past three decades, and hundreds also live in the UK and Europe today. North Korean refugees play an important role in both providing insight into life in North Korea, but they are also seen as a valuable resource in helping South Korean society prepare for the unification of the two Koreas at some point in the future. Concurrently, North Koreans often face considerable challenges adapting to life in their new host countries. This roundtable will look at key aspects of North Korean refugee mobility and settlement, their activism in various international fora, as well as UK approaches to refugee settlement in comparison to approaches currently taken in South Korea.

Presenters will include:

The Korea Hana Foundation

Dr Sarah A. Son (Lecturer in Korean Studies, University of Sheffield)

Francesca Morton (Migration Yorkshire)

Timothy Cho, Secretariat of the APPG for North Korea and North Korean refugee