Understanding Double Stigma Toward Minority Groups on Social Media in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from South Korea

This study aims to compare social perceptions of four minority groups in South Korea categorized by religion, sexual orientation, and occupation. Using data collected from Naver News, a prominent Korean website, between February and June 2020, dynamic topic modeling was conducted on over 200,000 data points. The findings revealed that stigma-related topics such as labeling, negative stereotypes, separation, and status loss emerged in discussions about religious and sexual minority groups, subjecting them to the double stigma linked to COVID-19 and AIDS. In contrast, non-stigma-related topics, such as sympathy, criticism of government actions, and COVID-19 prevention, appeared in discussions about occupational minority groups. Over time, blame toward religious minorities increased, while sympathy towards occupational minorities increased. This study suggests that interventions on social media platforms can enhance the awareness of double stigma, contributing to its reduction.