Leisure during the Escape and Adaption in South Korea: A Life Story of a North Korean Adolescent Defector

The objective of this study, which employed a life history method, was to examine an adolescent North Korean defector’s leisure during his defection and adaptation to life in South Korea. Data were obtained by employing individual in-depth interviews and an analysis of his YouTube videos. The findings revealed that leisure opportunities during his stay in China were limited due to fear of deportation. Leisure and sport in South Korea helped the defector to selectively acculturate and adapt by exposing him to new recreation opportunities, helping to establish social networks with South Korean peers, obtain social support, and develop his ethnic identity and a sense of belonging. Even after years of residing in South Korea, the defector retained his North Korean identity and pride in his ethnic heritage. A model of the roles of leisure in refugee adaptation was developed based on the findings of the study.