Purpose: This descriptive study was conducted to identify the attitudes of nursing college students to North Korean refugees (NKR) and to examine factors influencing these attitudes.

Methods: A total of 195 participants completed a structured questionnaire between September and October 2016. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program.

Results: The results of this study were as follows: attitudes toward NKR was 2.74 out of 4 points; cultural receptivity was 3.25 out of 5 points; nationalism was 2.46 out of 4 points. Cultural receptivity (r=.26, p<.001) and nationalism (r=-.18, p=.036) were significantly related to attitudes toward NKR. Unification attitude (β=0.27, p<.001) and cultural receptivity (β=0.20, p=.005) explained 13.7% of the variance in attitudes toward NKR.

Conclusion: The findings of this study provide fundamental data for the development of a nursing education program on multicultural perspectives. Furthermore, these findings might highlight the need for a nursing education program that could enhance understanding of patients from different backgrounds and recognize their differences, going beyond a national point of view as commonly found in Korea. The nursing education program should also promote an open and receptive attitude.