Divided Public Opinion on the Jury Trial System of South Korea: An Exploratory Analysis of the Effects of Ideological Orientation and Partisan News Media Exposure

The jury trial system in South Korea has often been involved in and associated with political issues since its inception. Against the theoretical backdrops of framing and selective media exposure effects, we attempted to explore whether South Korean citizens’ ideological orientation and selective exposure to partisan news media are meaningfully related to their viewpoints about the jury trial system. Results from a national survey indicated that public opinion on the South Korean jury trial system is significantly split across ideological orientation and partisan news media viewership. While pointing to the potential flaws of the jury trial system, our findings suggest that appropriate jury selection measures and processes should be considered and employed for fair and effective enforcement of the jury trial system in South Korea.