North Korean defectors' satisfaction in life decreased significantly after 10 years of living in South Korea, a survey by a Seoul think tank showed Thursday, indicating difficulty in assimilation to the capitalist South.

North Korean defectors who have lived here for more than 10 years said their satisfaction in life scored 2.73 on a 4-point scale, according to the poll of 240 North Korean defectors by the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification.

It showed their level of satisfaction peaked at 3.07 four to six years after they came to the South and continued to decline from there. The average rating for happiness in the South reached 2.99.

More than 30,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea in search of freedom. But many defectors face a grim reality when settling down in the South as they find it difficult to acquire decent jobs amid high competition and persistent prejudice against them.

The report said that the main factors determining defectors' happiness include how smoothly they identify themselves as South Koreans and how well they adapt to the capitalist South. (Yonhap)