This study examines public perceptions and language ideologies regarding English use in Korea‘s linguistic landscape by analyzing 2,191 online news comments concerning the English-only menu controversy in 2023. The analysis reveals that negative comments (89%) significantly outnumbered accepting ones (11%). Critical responses view English use as displaying pretentiousness and cultural subservience while posing a threat to Korean linguistic and cultural identity. Critics raise concerns regarding language use, such as incorrect English usage, inconsistent bilingual practices, and discrepancies between displayed and actual proficiency. They also point to issues of information accessibility and the broader trend of excessive English use in Korean society. By contrast, accepting perspectives justify English menu use based on business owners’ autonomy, strategic marketing, the basic comprehensibility of the English used, and the naturalness of English use in the global era. The findings highlight that monolingualism prevails, with English perceived as distinctly “foreign,” while also revealing contradictions in public attitudes, including overreliance on foreign validation of Korean, conflicting views on linguistic hierarchy, and ambivalent attitudes toward English proficiency. This study contributes to a better understanding of public perceptions of English in Korea‘s linguistic landscape and the ideological dynamics underlying language choice in public spaces.

Abstract
1. 서론
2. 이론적 배경 및 선행 연구
    2.1. 한국의 언어경관과 영어의 역할
    2.2. 뉴스 댓글에 나타난 영어 사용에 대한 인식
    2.3. 한국 사회의 영어 이데올로기
3. 연구 방법
    3.1. 분석 자료
    3.2. 분석 방법
4. 분석 결과 및 논의
    4.1. 비판 댓글과 수용 댓글의 키워드 분석 비교
    4.2. 비판 댓글에 나타난 인식
    4.3. 수용 댓글에 나타난 인식
    4.4. 댓글에 나타난 언어 이데올로기
5. 결론
참고문헌

• 심영숙(Professor, School of English Language and Literature, The Catholic University of Korea; 43 Jibong-ro, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 14662, South Korea) | Young-Sook Shim