The purpose of this study was to investigate the leisure behaviors of adolescent defectors from North to South Korea and the mental health benefits they derive from leisure participation, a topic not previously addressed in the literature. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 participants. Qualitative analysis based on acculturation theory revealed three salient themes of leisure benefits: (a) creating a sense of belonging, (b) increasing psychological well-being, and (c) facilitating acculturation. The results indicate that participants gained social and psychological benefits through leisure activities. They also suggest that the provision of recreation programs that encourage inter/intragroup participation can be an important component of these young refugees’ cultural and social adjustment.

本研究的目的是调查从朝鲜到韩国的青少年叛逃者的休闲行为以及他们从休闲参与中获得的心理健康益处，这是以前文献中未涉及的主题。对 17 名参与者进行了半结构化的深入访谈。基于文化适应理论的定性分析揭示了休闲利益的三个突出主题：（a）创造归属感，（b）增加心理幸福感，以及（c）促进文化适应。结果表明，参与者通过休闲活动获得了社会和心理上的好处。他们还建议提供鼓励跨群体/群体内参与的娱乐项目可以成为这些年轻难民文化和社会适应的重要组成部分。