Framing the EU: Big Data Analysis of South Korean News Media

Sung-Won Yoon and Sae Won Chung
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Sung-Won Yoon: Division of Business Administration, The University of Suwon, Hwaseong 18323, Korea
Sae Won Chung: Division of International and Area Studies, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: Since 2010, both South Korea and the European Union have rapidly developed their diplomatic ties by completing a Free Trade Agreement and establishing a strategic partnership. However, perceptions of the European Union (EU) among Korean elites, media, and public have not been properly established. Against this backdrop, it is of value to examine the news media, which are the main sources of information for elites and the public. The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of representations of the EU among South Korean media. To examine media representation, this study employed a quantitative methodology (semantic network analysis) for reviewing the data and a qualitative methodology (framing analysis) to interpret the results. The results of this study indicate that both conservative and liberal media employ conflict, economic consequences, and human interest framings to report EU issues. Despite some minor changes, neither type of media demonstrated clear differences in their EU coverage. The conclusion presented in this paper states that the South Korean media projects an incomplete picture of the EU to the Korean public. To overcome this issue, both South Korea and the EU should pay more attention to establishing accurate mutual perceptions to support a constructive future for their bilateral co-operation.

Keywords: South Korea; the EU; perceptions; media representations; big data analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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