By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter

A female North Korean defector became the first to be granted U.S. permanent residence status as a refugee escaping from the Stalinist state, her lawyer said Monday at local time.

The defector in her late 30s and identified only as Kim has settled down in Virginia after she arrived in the country via Thailand in May 2006.

She is the first to receive permanent residence without an interview in accordance with the North Korean Human Rights Act which was enacted four years ago, the lawyer Chon Jong-joon said.

The United States legislated the law to help North Korean defectors whose human rights are allegedly being abused in and out of the reclusive state.

Under the law, America has accepted 63 North Korean defectors.

Kim stayed in the States with a working permit granted upon arrival and applied for the status a year ago.

``Since the political situation changed, I was worried, what if I don't received the permanent residency?'' Kim said. ``It is very pleasing to gain the green card and now I realize that I live in the United States.''

As other North Korean defectors in the United States have already applied for the permanent residence status, more are expected to become green card holders.

Since the effect of the North Korean Human Rights Act is to end late this month, North Korea experts pointed out its term should be extended to help more North Korea defectors receive refugee status and be admitted to the United States.

More than 10,000 North Korean defectors reside in South Korea and still many North Koreans risk their lives to flee from the secretive state due to hunger and oppression.

According to the U.S. Peterson Institute for International Economics, however, younger and more educated North Koreans tend to choose the United States or England over South Korea to settle down for a better life and education.

ksy@koreatimes.co.kr