ABSTRACT
The present study provides a meta-analysis of how interpreting studies in Korea have evolved over the quarter of a century since the introduction of formal education in interpreting in Korea and how it compares with or differs from the recent international research trends under consideration. Following the analysis of all interpreting research papers published in five government-accredited Korean journals for the entire period of the present research (1998-2022), the data from the last decade (2013-2022), in particular, were compared with those collected from the three representative international journals in interpreting in terms of theoretical frameworks and methodologies employed. The findings show that the last quarter of a century has witnessed significant improvement in interpreting studies in Korea in terms of both the quantity and quality of papers produced. While early manuscripts by practice-oriented educators often lacked consolidated theoretical/methodological background, the next generation of theory-oriented researchers has increased academic rigor and diversity in the discipline. The comparison with international journals indicates that further diversification is required in theoretical frameworks and methodologies. The main contributions of the present study include a diachronic, meta-research view of research trends, a data-driven diagnosis of problems, and the precise identification of historical trends and proposals for the next steps of academic growth.
