TIME noted that the number of North Koreans who came to Korea this year is 1,300, four times more than the previous year, but the majority of them do not find a proper jobs and end up in low-wage professions like cleaners and manual laborers. It added, however, "The plight of North Korean refugees in South Korea has long been a controversial issue, one that the Seoul government would rather keep out of the newspapers so as not to damage ultra sensitive relations with Pyongyang's high-strung dictator, Kim Jong Il."

A young child who fled from North Korea arrives at Incheon International Airport and looks out of the bus window with enthusiasm on July 28th.

TIME introduced a survey, conducted in 2001, that showed that 20 percent of North Korean defectors in South Korea are unemployed and 32 percent have temporary occupations.

The North Korean refugees are provided with 2 months of job training, a US$23,000 resettlement fund and a US$375 monthly stipend, but according to TIME, they are not happy with the South Korean government because they believe the government is not helping them that much.

TIME claimed that the problems faced by the 5,200 North Korean defectors in South Korean society are due to the huge differences between North and South, including big differences in educational quality in computers and English. It pointed out that plight of North Korean defectors is one of the biggest challenges facing South Korean society.

TIME also said, however, that, "Despite the obstacles, many refugees recognize that their new life offers far more opportunity than the existence they left behind," and that many defectors are living their lives actively, running their own businesses like restaurants.

(Song Ui-dal, edsong@chosun.com )