Lost in communication: The vanished momentum of just transition in South Korea

Abstract

As problems of injustice observed in the decarbonization process arose, energy scholars have recently sought remedies to address social justice concerns under the banner of just transition. What remains elusive in the existing literature is the role of communication between proponents of policy ideas and the public in fostering social consensus around just transition, particularly within non-Western contexts. The research presented here aims to fill the aforementioned knowledge gap by investigating reasons behind the vanished momentum of a just transition policy in South Korea, despite a public atmosphere accepting of the need for low-carbon energy transition. Employing natural language processing on 2022 news articles and 32,211 online comments, our research reveals that the public perception of just transition has been influenced heavily by ideologically-driven interpretations of the meaning of justice. This is due primarily to the failure of the speakers of just transition to effectively communicate its intended scope and content. The findings underscore the importance of communication in building a shared understanding of just transition aligned with deep core beliefs of a society to ensure its public acceptance and long-term viability.