Abstract

This study examined the implications of media communication for the smooth execution of large-scale national projects, such as geological resource exploration, using media keyword network analysis and topic modeling analysis. The ‘Great Whale Project’ was analyzed based on 595 articles, divided into initial and later stages of media coverage. During the initial stage, President Yoon Sukyeol emerged as a major keyword, boosting information dissemination but also causing unnecessary controversy regarding the reliability and expertise of the information. This led to the issue of energy resources becoming politicized, with ongoing debates about the project's credibility and analysis expertise from both the initial and later stages. The later stage, emphasized the national and industrial significance of the project but continued to be plagued by political controversies. The study highlights the importance of optimal speaker, accuracy of information, and authority in media communication, especially for issues of great national and industrial significance like energy resources.

Keywords East Sea deep-sea gas field, exploration & development, blue whale project(the great whale project), media, keyword, topic modeling