Korean Media’s Mistranslation of News Articles from Foreign Media and Its Possible Consequences on Korean Politics and Society

Many people are prone to believe disinformation/fake news because of its provocativeness. Because most fake information is distributed via news articles on political issues in South Korea, it is hazardous to public and democracy by deception and manipulation. This study considers various types of disinformation that have been categorized by scholars with some examples found on current South Korean major media but also identifies a new type: mistranslation. This study examines specific types of South Korean mainstream media disinformation; it demonstrates mistranslation is an additional type; and it reveals mistranslated overseas news articles that have generated media disinformation. General types of disinformation or fake news that suit South Korea’s social context are discussed with examples including mistranslation. After further discussion, with South Korea’s social context as the backdrop for highlighting forms of mistranslation and other types of disinformation, the conclusion is followed by a critique of the conditions of English education needed to overcome mistranslation. This study shows the state of disinformation/fake news and its effects in South Korea through a different view of disinformation via trans-linguistic aspects, acknowledging that it is a normal social phenomenon open societies are supposed to face regardless of its possible negative influence in public.