이화여자대학교 통역번역연구소

Boyoon Jang and Jiun Huh (2026). A study of interpreters’ and public perceptions of professional interpreting: A case study of the Coupang hearing. This study examines the respective perception of professional interpreting among interpreters and the general public, focusing on the interpreting performed during the 2025 National Assembly hearing on the corporation Coupang. It aims to explore both convergences and divergences between the two perceptions. Public perceptions were examined through keyword analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling of comments posted on YouTube videos related to the Coupang hearing. Interpreters’ perceptions were explored through interviews with six interpreters from diverse professional backgrounds. The findings revealed both shared and differing views between the public and interpreters regarding the role of interpreting, interpretation quality, interpreters’ impartiality and ethics, respect for professionalism, and politicians’ English proficiency. Notably, interpreters emphasized the need to establish clear protocols for the use of interpreting in public communication settings. Based on these findings, the study proposes guidelines for the effective use of interpreting in these contexts. (Ewha Womans University, Korea)