원자력 에너지에 대한 공중의 태도와 커뮤니케이션 연구

Abstract

This study covers public relations communication strategies regarding public attitudes on nuclear power plants in South Korea. The research methods used were an online audience survey of nationwide residents and a literature review. Public opinion regarding nuclear energy can be categorized into four groups: active, aware, latent, and non (indifferent or inactive) public, which is from prior studies by Grunig and Hunt (1983). Major four of eight public groups were selected for analysis by applying three types of criteria - involvement, problem recognition, and constraint recognition. With the increase or decrease of nuclear power plants as a dependent variable, the results of the regression analysis are as follows: First, the public's attitude about nuclear power, as a whole, is influenced by information presented by the media more than information by anti-nuclear civil groups. Also, actively seeking information influences the public more than passive information processing. Second, active public's attitude is twice influenced by the information presented by the media more than information by anti-nuclear civil groups. Third, both aware and latent public's attitude are more influenced by the arguments of anti-nuclear civil groups than by the news media; however, the influence over latent public's attitude from civil groups is much more powerful than it is over aware public's attitude. Fourth, non (inactive) public's attitude is not significantly influenced by the media or any other source, because there is no interest in nuclear power plant issues. In spite of that, as people with non (inactive) public's attitude recognize that South Korea lacks natural energy, they could be persuaded to have positive attitudes about nuclear power plant policies.