biostudies-literatureUnknownSong EAir pollutants allegedly originating from China have become a thorny issue in South Korea. Despite a neutral view of the topic on the part of the South Korean government, recent public polls show a high correlation between the air pollution issue and negative sentiment toward China. How has the media reported on China regarding air pollutants in South Korea? What is the effect of media reports on air pollution on anti-Chinese sentiment and foreign policy attitudes? By examining news headlines and Twitter data in 2015 and 2018, this work finds that media reports blaming China for air pollution doubled during the 2015–2018 period. Discourse surrounding air pollution also shifted: negative sentiment directed at both the Chinese government and the Chinese people increased in 2018 compared to 2Journal of Chinese political science1-22https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10040909biostudies-literatureAir Pollution Coverage, Anti-Chinese Sentiment, and Attitudes Towards Foreign Policy in South KoreaPMC10040909Song EfalseAir Pollution Coverage, Anti-Chinese Sentiment, and Attitudes Towards Foreign Policy in South KoreaAir pollutants allegedly originating from China have become a thorny issue in South Korea. Despite a neutral view of the topic on the part of the South Korean government, recent public polls show a high correlation between the air pollution issue and negative sentiment toward China. How has the media reported on China regarding air pollutants in South Korea? What is the effect of media reports on air pollution on anti-Chinese sentiment and foreign policy attitudes? By examining news headlines and Twitter data in 2015 and 2018, this work finds that media reports blaming China for air pollution doubled during the 2015–2018 period. Discourse surrounding air pollution also shifted: negative sentiment directed at both the Chinese government and the Chinese people increased in 2018 compared to 22023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Mar2025-04-22T13:08:22.811Z2025-04-06T00:30:46.268ZS-EPMC10040909