Karel van Wolferen (born 1941) is a Dutch journalist, writer and professor, who is particularly recognised for his knowledge of Japanese politics, economics, history and culture.

In 1987, he received the highest Dutch award for journalism for his articles on the People Power Revolution of 1986 in the Philippines[3] (an uprising that forced President Ferdinand Marcos to flee the country).

In 2005, together with NRC Handelsblad reporter Jan Sampiemon, Van Wolferen wrote Een keerpunt in de vaderlandse geschiedenis (Dutch: "A turning point in the history of the fatherland").

Despite the 'fatherland' in the title referring to the Netherlands, the book is mostly about the changes in the foreign policies of the United States since the presidency of George W. Bush and its effects on the Atlantic Alliance.

[10] In 2020 Van Wolferen founded conspiracy newspaper Gezond Verstand (Common Sense), which among others claimed the COVID epidemic was fabricated.

The University of Amsterdam officially distanced itself from their former employee after its publication, citing Van Wolferen was "ruining the trust in scientific research and the spread of factual information, for example when it comes to Corona."