Media representation of the Republic of Korea in Mongolian news: A content and discourse analysis of 2024 coverage : A content and discourse analysis of 2024 coverage: Pukyong National University = 2024 년 보도를 중심으로 한 내용 및 담론 분석: 부경대학교

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 논문은 2024년에 몽골 언론이 대한민국을 어떻게 재현하였는지를 콘텐츠 분석과 미디어 담론 분석을 결합한 방식으로 탐구한다. GoGo.mn, News.mn, Olnodoo.com의 총 130개의 온라인 뉴스 기사를 정치, 경제, 교육, 문화, 이동성, 관광 등의 주제로 분류하여 분석하였다. 콘텐츠 분석을 통해 주요 의제, 보도 톤, 보도 패턴을 파악하였으며, 담론 분석을 통해 기사에 내재된 서사, 의미 구성, 이데올로기적 함의를 해석하였다. 분석의 이론적 틀은 세 가지 상보적 관점에 기반한다. Hall(1997)은 미디어가 재현을 통해 의미를 구성한다는 점을 강조한다. Fairclough(1995)는 언어, 권력, 사회적 맥락이 미디어 담론 속에서 어떻게 상호작용하는지를 설명한다. Van Dijk(1998)은 인지적·이데올로기적 관점을 제시하며 미디어 담론이 대중의 태도와 집단 간 인식을 형성하는 방식을 강조한다. 이 세 이론은 뉴스 서사가 어떻게 구성되고 해석되는지를 다층적으로 이해하는 데 도움을 준다. 연구 결과, 몽골 언론은 한국을 주로 정치적 및 문화적 프레임을 통해 묘사하는 것으로 나타났다. 정치적 보도는 대통령 탄핵 위기와 같은 주요 사건에 집중하였고, 문화·교육 관련 보도는 한국의 현대화, 창의성, 기술 발전을 강조하였다. 전체 기사 중 54%는 긍정적 톤을 보였으며, 특히 교육, 문화, 관광 분야에서 한국의 발전 모델과 소프트 파워에 대한 몽골 사회의 호감이 두드러졌다. 담론 분석 결과, 몽골 기자들은 평가적 언어와 선택적 강조를 통해 한국을 국가 발전의 ‘모델’이자 ‘협력 파트너’로 상징적으로 구성하고 있음을 확인하였다. 콘텐츠 분석과 담론 분석의 통합적 접근은 몽골 언론이 자국의 문화적·정치적·사회적 관점을 바탕으로 한국의 이미지를 구성하고 있음을 보여준다. 본 연구는 자국 언론이 외국 파트너를 어떻게 프레이밍하는지를 밝힘으로써 국제 커뮤니케이션 연구에 기여하며, 동북아시아 관계에서 언론이 공공 인식 형성에 수행하는 역할을 조명한다. 키워드: 미디어, 대한민국, 몽골, 미디어 담론 분석, 콘텐츠 분석

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This thesis investigates how Mongolian media represented the Republic of Korea during 2024 by using a combined approach of content analysis and media discourse analysis. A total of 130 online news articles from GoGo.mn, News.mn, and Olnodoo.com were examined across themes such as politics, economy, education, culture, migration, and tourism. Content analysis was used to identify dominant topics, tones, and patterns of coverage, while discourse analysis explored the underlying narratives, meanings, and ideological cues within the texts. The analytical framework draws on three complementary theoretical perspectives. Hall (1997) highlights how media constructs meaning through representation. Fairclough (1995) explains how language, power, and social context interact within media discourse. Van Dijk (1998) contributes a cognitive and ideological lens, emphasizing how media discourse shapes public attitudes and group relations. Together, these theories provide a layered understanding of how news narratives are formed and interpreted. The findings show that Mongolian media primarily portrayed South Korea through political and cultural frames. Political coverage centered on major events, including the presidential impeachment crisis, while cultural and educational reports emphasized Korea’s modernization, creativity, and technological progress. Overall, 54% of the articles conveyed a positive tone, particularly in the domains of education, culture, and tourism, indicating Mongolia’s admiration for Korea’s development model and soft power influence. Discourse analysis further showed that Mongolian journalists used evaluative language and selective emphasis to construct Korea symbolically as both a model and a partner in national development. The integration of content and discourse analysis shows that Mongolian media construct the image of South Korea through their own cultural, political, and societal lenses. This study contributes to international communication research by demonstrating how national media frame foreign partners and highlights the media’s role in shaping public understanding within Northeast Asian relations. Keywords: Media, South Korea, Mongolia, Media discourse analysis, Content analysis

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
• 1.1 Background of the Study 1
• 1.2. Problem Statement 5
• 1.3. Significance of the study 7
• 1.4 Scope and Limitations 10
• 1.5. Summary. 11
• CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 14
• 2.1. Introduction 14
• 2.2. Mongolia–Korea Relations 15
• 2.3. Media Representation and Content Analysis of Nation-States 27
• 2.3.1. Global Studies on Media Representations of Nation-States 28
• 2.3.2. Representations of State Actors 29
• 2.3.3. South Korea in International Media 30
• 2.3.4. Implications for the Present Study 34
• 2.4. Research object. 34
• 2.5. Conclusion 36
• CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHOD 38
• 3.1. Introduction 38
• 3.2. Media Discourse Analysis 40
• 3.3. Content Analysis 43
• 3.4. Method. 45
• 3.4.1 Qualitative Interpretation of Media Discourse 48
• 3.4.2 Reliability and Validity 49
• 3.4.3 Limitations of the Methodology 50
• 3.4.4 Ethical Considerations 52
• 3.5 Hypotheses 53
• 3.6 Conclusion 56
• CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 57
• 4.1 Introduction 57
• 4.2 Result of Content Analysis 58
• 4.2.1 Monthly Distribution of Articles 59
• 4.2.2 Distribution by Newspaper 62
• 4.2.3 Tones of Representation 64
• 4.2.4 Thematic Frames 66
• 4.2.5 Overall summary of Content Analysis. 69
• 4.3 Result of Media Discourse Analysis. 72
• 4.3.1 Political Discourse 72
• 4.3.2 Cultural and Educational Discourse 74
• 4.3.3 Economic and Migration Discourse 78
• 4.3.4 Crisis and Safety Discourse 79
• 4.3.5 Overall summary. 81
• 4.4 Survey findings from on Mongolian Perception of Korea. 83
• 4.5 Conclusion 87
• CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 90
• 5.1. Introduction 90
• 5.2. Interpretation of Major Findings 92
• 5.2.1. Thematic Representation and Media Priorities 92
• 5.2.2. Tonal Orientation and Ideological Implications 94
• 5.2.3. Discursive Strategies and Symbolic Construction 95
• 5.3. Media, Identity, and Public Diplomacy 97
• 5.4. Relationship Between Content and Discourse Analysis 99
• 5.5. Comparative and Theoretical insights 100
• 5.6. Limitations and Directions for Future Research 101
• 5.7. Conclusion 102
• References 105
• Appendixes 108
• LIST OF FIGURE
• Figure 1: Monthly Distribution of Articles about South Korea in Mongolian Media, 2024) 62
• Figure 2: Distribution of tones across articles 65
• Figure 3: Thematic distribution of articles. 69
• Figure 4: “South Korea’s First Lady Questioned in Corruption Scandal” 73
• Figure 5: “National Police Chief Arrested amid Martial Law Crisis” 74
• Figure 6: “Study in Korea Education Fair 2024 to Be Held in Ulaanbaatar” 75
• Figure 7: “Korea Week 2024 Opens at Sukhbaatar Square” 76
• Figure 8: “Korea Week 2024 Opens at Sukhbaatar Square” 77
• Figure 9: “South Korean Won Hits 15-Year Low” 78
• Figure 10: “One Million Foreign Workers in South Korea” 79
• Figures 11: “Jeju Airplane Crash” 80
• Figure 12: “Battery Factory Explosion in Hwaseong” 80