This study aims to empirically analyze the evolution of public perception regarding design intellectual property rights (IPRs) over the past decade (2015–2024), with a particular focus on the influence of institutional changes. Utilizing approximate...
This study aims to empirically analyze the evolution of public perception regarding design intellectual property rights (IPRs) over the past decade (2015–2024), with a particular focus on the influence of institutional changes. Utilizing approximately 20,000 news articles collected from Naver News, the study employs a range of text mining techniques, including word cloud analysis, TF-IDF, N-gram analysis, LDA topic modeling, and CONCOR network analysis. The findings indicate that, during the early stages of policy reform, discourse around IPRs was primarily centered on rights protection, entrepreneurship, and technology. In the mid-phase, there was a notable shift toward themes such as branding, exports, and global competitiveness. More recently, public discourse has expanded to encompass smart devices, content industries, AI-generated works, and digital infringement—highlighting the growing complexity of IPRs in a technologically convergent environment and underscoring the pressing need for legal and policy responses. Temporal clustering of core keywords reflects a dynamic interplay between policy direction and industrial trends. This study offers both academic and practical insights by structurally examining the implications of changing public perception on policy development, industrial strategy, and educational orientation. It also serves as a foundational resource for fostering a sustainable creative ecosystem.