Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Croft Institute for International Studies
First Advisor
Bridget Martin
Second Advisor
Minjoo Oh
Third Advisor
Ian Gowan
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis analyzes two periods of pro-North Korean engagement regimes in South Korea during the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), Roh Moo-hyun (2003-2008), and Moon Jae-in (2017-2023). Through analysis of the three aforementioned presidents’ initiatives for engagement with the North, categorization of news headlines from two major South Korean sources, and public opinion polls, I argue that especially high and low emotional reactions among the South Korean public during these periods were exacerbated by news media’s overly dramatized portrayal of inter-Korean interactions, both big and small. This has led to desensitization and emotional exhaustion among the South Korean public, causing them to lose faith and interest in the possibility of Korean unification. Through my research, I find that years in which inter-Korean summits took place experienced exceptionally high levels of positively phrased pro-North headlines. These times usually also saw better approval ratings for the respective presidents and positive public opinion which later fell again due to the lack of tangible results on the governmental level and the return of negative reporting in the media. The media's repetitive framing cycle of inter-Korean events, oscillating between exaggerated hope and fear, has created a sense of psychological whiplash. The emotionally volatile and often contradictory media framing of inter-Korean events has not only reflected public sentiment but actively shaped it, leading to the public disillusionment and disengagement from the issue seen today.
Recommended Citation
Trombley, Sophia Lizanne, "Breaking News and Broken Hopes: Inter-Korean Engagement and the Emotional Consequences of Media Framing" (2025). Honors Theses. 3356.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3356
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