An Analysis of the Press view on the Korean Protestantism before and after the Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE This research strives to analyse how the Korean Protestantism, as depicted in the press, has changed before and after Covid-19.CONTENTS This study takes into account a total of 194 samples from weekly reports and big data analysis over the course of a 4-year collaboration with a Christian newspaper(Gospel Today). The weekly analysis reporter conducted contents analysis through Naver news search and big data analysis through BIG KINDS. In this study, the results were derived by an integrated re-analysis of the weekly analysis report.RESULTS First, there was a seven-fold increase in news reports and changes were brought to the issues related to the Korean Protestantism. Second, the most popular keyword before covid-19 was ‘Sexual Assault’, while it was ‘confirmed cases’ after the virus. Negative sentimentality regarding these keywords doubled in comparison to results acquired before covid-19. Third, Church and people that the press paid attention to had the characteristics of ‘mega-Church’, ‘illegal acts’, ‘deviance’, and conflict regardless of COVID-19. Media reports before and after COVID-19 show that the conflict between Korean Protestantism and Korean society has intensified.