The purpose of this study was to analyze vocational education research trends using network analysis and topic modeling. A total of 981 journals of vocational education research and vocational competency development research were analyzed from 2008 to 2022, and analyzed separately based on the period of government administration. As a result of network analysis, the main keywords identified were specialized vocational high schools, university students, employment, mediation effect, teachers, youth, performance, competency, self-efficacy, and programs. The top 25 keywords were restructured, divided into research subjects and research contents, and analyzed in detail across specific areas. Keywords were separated research subject, research content, and research method, and the research content was consisted of employment and labor, vocational career education, performance competency, psychological variables, and learning organization. The results were obtained by conducting an analysis of degree centrality, between centrality, and eigenvector centrality by government period. As a result of the topic modeling analysis, 8 topics were consisted of human resource development evaluation and performance analysis, employment and labor market transition for university graduates, development of professional competency for vocational competency development, career development for students from specialized vocational high schools, and human resource development and training, organizational development for individuals, learning, university students' career decisions, and specialized vocational high school curriculum. Based on these finding, suggestions for future research were derived.