While some North Korean refugees are unhappy in South Korea and a few even make the return journey, the majority are satisfied with their lives here, according to a survey.

North Korean defectors on average work longer, have more physically-challenging employment and are paid less than South Koreans, a poll conducted late last year by state-funded North Korean Refugees Foundation found. But nearly 75% of the 2,355 respondents said they are either moderately or very satisfied with their new lives.

Topping the list of reasons behind positive responses were: (1) income proportionate to workload, (2) a career of one’s own choosing, and (3) increased wealth compared to the life inside North Korea, the study showed.

The survey is the foundation’s first in-depth look at refugees’ economic activity in the South. Latest government data show that over 26,000 North Korean defectors live in the South.