Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research

Center for Asian Public Opinion Research & Collaboration Initiative (충남대학교 아시아여론조사학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Analysis of Fake News in the 2017 Korean Presidential Election

  • Received : 2019.08.07
  • Accepted : 2020.02.20
  • Published : 2020.05.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze 1) who created and distributed fake news, 2) the distribution channels of fake news, 3) who fake news has targeted, and 4) the effects on voting and the impact of fake news on Korean politics. In South Korea, fake news was mainly created by candidates or election campaigns. The reason is that in the wake of the impeachment of President Park Guen Hye, all the political parties in Korea used fake news as a means of mobilizing supporters for each of their candidates or parties to gain an advantage in situations involving political divisions and confrontations between the pro-impeachment, progressive young generation and anti-impeachment, conservative senior generation. Voters' media usage patterns were polarized through social network services (SNS) media and television. Fake news was mostly received through these two media outlets. According to the spreading structure of fake news in Korea, the younger generation generally uses SNS posts intended for unspecified individuals, and the older generation uses closed SNS like KakaoTalk or Naver's BAND. In the end, it is typically characteristic of the older generation to spread fake news through existing offline human networks. In the 2017 presidential election, fake news has been confirmed to have the effect of mobilizing supporters for each political party. In the presidential election, an increase in voter turnout was confirmed among those in their 20s and those in their 60s or older. Evidently, fake news influenced the election of Moon Jae-In. The influence of fake news is expected to grow further as ideological polarization and consequent political polarization continues to intensify in South Korea.

Keywords

References

  1. Brownstein, R. (2007). The second Civil War: How extreme partisanship has paralyzed Washington and polarized America. Penguin Books HC.
  2. Frenda, S. J., Nichols, R. M., & Loftus, E. F. (2011). Current issues and advances in misinformation research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(1), 20-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721410396620
  3. Gallup Korea. (2019). The survey of the president's operational satisfaction. Daily Opinion No. 364, 4th week July 2019. https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1036
  4. Garrett, R. K., & Weeks, B. E. (2013). The promise and peril of real-time corrections to political misperceptions. Proceedings of the 2013 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (pp. 1047-1058). http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2441776.2441895
  5. Glynn, G. J., Herbst, S., O'Keefe, G.J., Shapiro, R.Y., & Lindeman, M. (2004). Public Opinion, (2nd ed). Westview.
  6. Huang, G. (2017. 03. 03). 'Gajja nyuseu', Jounalism wigiga minjujuui wihyeop ['Fake news', media crisis threats democratic]. Future Korea, http://www.futurekorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=38098
  7. Huang, Y.-S. (2017). Gajja nyuseu gaenyeom jeong-uiui munje hyeongsiggwa naeyong uidojeog-eulo sog-il ttae ‘gajja nyuseu’ [‘The definition of fake news’when the format and content are deceptive]. Newspapers and Broadcasting, 4(556), 6-11.
  8. Hwang, Y.-S., & Kwon, O.-S. (2017). A study on the conceptualization and regulation measures on fake news - Focused on self-regulation of Internet service providers. Journal of Media Law, Ethics and Policy Research, 16(1), pp.53-101.
  9. Hyundai Economic Research Institute. (2017). Economic cost estimation and implications of fake news. Weekly Economic Review, 17-11(736), 1-11.
  10. Jang W.-Y. (2018). Political participation and social integration: The interview survey of Korean flag participants. The Election Research, 9, 357-381. National Election Commission Korea. https://www.nec.go.kr/portal/bbs/view/B0000234/48877.do?menuNo=200184&searchOption1=&searchOption2=&searchWrd=&searchCnd=&pageIndex=1
  11. Joo, Y.-W., Chae, S.-w., Bae H.-E., & Kim H.-J. (2016). Final Report of Internet User Survey 2016, 77-86. Korea Internet Security Agency. http://www.korea.kr/archive/expDocView.do?docId=37494
  12. Keum, J.-Y. (2017, May). Eonlonsa gongdong paegteuchekeu [Joint Fact Check of the Press]. Media Today. http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=136899
  13. Kim, H.-s., & Park, B.-r. (2017, May). Controversy over fake news about 'the rumor of a backdoor deal'. Kyunghyang Newspaper. http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?art_id=201705032321035
  14. Kim H.-s. & Park B.-y.. (2017, May). 'Sewolho dwisgeolaeseol' gajjanyuseu nonlan [Controversy over fake news of 'Sewolho']. The Kyunghyang Shinmun. http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?art_id=201705032321035
  15. Kim, M.-h. (2017, May). Fake news in presidential election. Maeil Economic. https://www.mk.co.kr/news/politics/view/2017/05/294303/
  16. Kim, J.-G. (2017.4.20). 'SNS sogui gajjanyuseu [Fake news on SNS: Status and countermeasures.]: Announcement of a seminar on public responsibility of the press and media, as well as fake news. (pp.33-50). Hansun Foundation. http://riss.kr/search/detail/DetailView.do?p_mat_type=1a0202e37d52c72d&control_no=841837db0de13eca7ecd42904f0c5d65
  17. Korean Political Science Association. (2017). A survey on voters' awareness in the 19th presidential election. National Election Commission Korea. http://ksdc.uldesign17.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=survey3&wr_id=218
  18. Lee, M.,& Joo, H. (2017). A study on the present situation and countermeasures of fake news in the elections: Focus on the U.S., France and Korea presidential elections. Citizen Researcher Report 2017 (pp.2-24). Korea Civic Education Institute for Democracy. http://www.nl.go.kr/nl/search/SearchDetail.nl?service=KOLIS&vdkvgwkey=489014894&colltype=DAN_HOLD
  19. NHK News Report Division. (2020). AI and democracy. NHK Books.
  20. Oh, S.-W., Jung, S.-h., & Park, A.-R. (2017). Fake news: Current situation and problems. Research Report 2017-05. Korea Press Foundation.
  21. Oh S.-W., & Park, A.-R. (2013). Recognition of false news by the public. Media Research Center. Media Issue, 3(3), 1-12.
  22. Park, S.-W. (2017, May). The results of the 2017 presidential election exit poll. Joong Ang Ilbo. https://news.joins.com/article/21556537
  23. Park, E.-Y. (Writer), & Do, J.-W. (Director). (2017, April 1). Dugaeui gwangjang, hanaui insil - mueosi taegeukgireul umjigina [Two squares, one truth - what moves the Taegeukgi] (Episode 1070) [TV series episode]. In C.-W. Jeong & G.-S. Kim (Executive Producers), Geugeos-i algo sipda [I want to know]. SBS. https://allvod.sbs.co.kr/allvod/vodEndPage.do?mdaId=22000221432
  24. Seoul National University's Factcheck Institute. (2017). Fact check results report on fake news in the 2017 presidential election. http://factcheck.snu.ac.kr/v2/facts?tag_name=19%EB%8C%80+%EB%8C%80%EC%84%A0
  25. Sunstein, C. R. (2011). Going to Extremes- How like minds unite and divide (J.-I. Lee, Trans). Preview. (Original work published in 2009).
  26. Sunstein, C. R. (2015). Why Societies Need Dissent (J.-W. Park & H. -C. Song, Trans). Humanitas. (Original work published in 2005).
  27. Yoo, H.-G. & Park. G.-Y. (2017. Jan). 'Kim Gichoon Jisiro 'Jageum Jiwon' Bateun Bosudanchaedul, Tanheakbandae Juphui Judo [Conservative groups that received 'funds' under the order of Kim Ki-choon, led rallies against impeachment.]: The Kyunghyang Shinmun. https://m.khan.co.kr/view.html?art_id=201701241727001&nlv#c2b
  28. Zhu, B., Chen, C., Loftus, E. F., Lin, C., He, Q., Chen, C., Li, H., Xue, G., Lu, Z., & Dong, Q. (2010). Individual differences in false memory from misinformation: Cognitive factors. Memory, 18(5), 543-555. DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2010.487051

Cited by

  1. Lesser evil? Public opinion on regulating fake news in Japan, South Korea, and Thailand – A three-country comparison vol.45, pp.9, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2021.102185