The long way to freedom - adaptation problems of North Korean defectors in South Korea

Although South Korea and North Korea have shared a common national and cultural heritage for thousands of years, they have become de facto stranger to each other in the last few decades. They differ not only in a different political and economic system, but also in the mentality and lifestyle of ordinary citizens, and in language. Since the 1990s, the number of North Korean defectors has increased. Those who decide to escape to South Korea encounter many problems in their new homeland. The aims of this article is to present the main adaptation problems faced by North Korean defectors, such as trauma, discrimination and problems with assimilation in South Korean society. There are also shown the examples of how to overcome or reduce them, as well as what support from the South Korean authorities looks like.

Labor migration from Central Asia to Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Like most countries in the world, the Russian Federation has also been struggling with the coronavirus pandemic that causes the COVID-19 disease since the beginning of 2020. The pandemic has harmed many areas of life in Russia, including social, demographic and economic issues. The changes also affected the labor market, which to a large extent is shaped by economic migrants from Central Asia. The situation of the economic migrants themselves has also changed significantly. Many of them lost their jobs, especially in the first half of 2020. Due to sanitary restrictions and the closure of borders, the number of Central Asian residents who decided to leave for Russia has significantly decreased. Experts emphasize that economic migrants make a significant contribution to the development of the Russian economy and the economies of Central Asian countries. This article aims to present how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the shape of economic migration from Central Asia to Russia in the context of changing employment conditions and the socio-economic situation, both in Russia and the countries of the region.