Between trust and suspicion: affective framing and informal protectionism toward Korean and Chinese technology firms in Korean media

Amid intensifying technological rivalry and limited avenues for formal protectionism, the emotional framing of firms has emerged as a critical dimension of economic competition. This study examines how Korean media have affectively framed domestic and Chinese technology firms over a fifteen-year period (2010–2025), using computational analysis of a large corpus of full-text newspaper articles. Drawing on theories of technonationalism, affective framing, and informal protectionism, the analysis traces longitudinal shifts along two affective dimensions: evaluative tone (valence) and emotional intensity (arousal). The results reveal a dual trajectory of affective divergence: Korean firms are portrayed with consistently moderate and positive sentiment, while Chinese firms are increasingly framed in negative and emotionally charged terms. These patterns suggest that affective media narratives function as informal mechanisms of symbolic boundary-making, reinforcing distinctions between domestic legitimacy and foreign suspicion. The findings contribute to scholarship in international political economy, communication, and international business by illustrating how emotional tone shapes perceptions of technological rivalry. More broadly, this study highlights the role of media affect in constructing economic legitimacy and national identity, particularly for technologically advanced, trade-dependent middle-power democracies like South Korea navigating strategic dependence and geopolitical tension.