This study aimed to explore how North Korean female defectors experience and perceive interpersonal relationships in the workplace by employing the Photovoice methodology. Through the process of capturing photographs and narrating their lived experiences, participants were able to express the emotions and meanings embedded in their interpersonal experiences in a visual and narrative form. Four North Korean female defectors residing and working in the Seoul metropolitan area participated in the study. Data were collected through a Photovoice orientation session and in-depth interviews. The analysis yielded three major themes—(1) workplace relationships as a source of adaptation and growth, (2) barriers to forming relationships, and (3) facilitators of relationship building—along with six subthemes and 25 meaning units. The findings revealed the following: First, emotionally supportive relationships in the workplace served as a channel for cultural adaptation and promoted a stable settlement in South Korean society. Second, barriers to forming workplace relationships included prejudice, discrimination, uncomfortable attention, and difficulties with modern technologies, all of which intensified psychological withdrawal and feelings of isolation. Third, efforts to actively engage with others and voluntary attitudes played a key role in forming workplace relationships and enhancing job satisfaction and adjustment. Based on these findings, the study offers suggestions for counseling and policy interventions to support the social integration and healthy interpersonal development of North Korean female defectors, and provides directions for future research.
