The Impact of Emotional Politics on Political Competition: Focusing on Analysis of Political Party Statements during Elections

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study investigates how emotional framing operates in South Korean politics by analyzing official commentaries from the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party, along with news articles, during the month leading up to the 2024 general election. The findings reveal that both parties strategically employed negative emotions-such as anger, fear, and disgust-to frame issues and target specific political figures, thereby mobilizing their base and shaping public discourse. While some messages conveyed positive emotions like hope and trust, the overall emphasis was on critical, conflict-driven narratives. The use of emotional rhetoric served not only to define agendas but also to personalize political responsibility, particularly through attacks on individual leaders. This highlights the growing centrality of emotional politics in Korean electioneering and offers empirical insight into how affective strategies influence voter attitudes and behaviors. The study contributes to the broader field of political communication by demonstrating the analytical potential of emotion-based content analysis in understanding party strategies and discourse dynamics.