Purpose: This qualitative study sought to comprehend the nursing practice and education that North Korean nurses who defected to South Korea encountered in their home country. Methods: Semi-structured questions were used to conduct in-depth interviews with ten nurses. The conventional content analysis method was employed to analyze the collected data. Results: Three categories were identified by the participants to describe the nursing practice and education in North Korea: 207 codes, 26 subthemes, and 11 themes were used with respect to decisions made about ‘Entering nursing education’, ‘Completing different nursing education by period’, and ‘Performing nursing practice and continuing learning’. There have been significant changes in nursing education and practice, including admission requirements, course lengths, major curriculum, nursing qualifications, and practice, in line with the period of significant changes brought about by socioeconomic challenges and law revision. Significant differences in nursing education and practice between South and North Korea were also identified. Conclusion: These findings allowed us to comprehend the status of nursing in North Korea today. Setting a course for integrating nursing practice and inter-Korean exchange in a unified Korean Peninsula in the future will also be feasible. We perceive a greater need for ongoing attention to North Korea's nursing practice and curriculum now than in the past.