National Institute of Scientific Investigation, Seoul, Korea.

Department of Forensic Medicine, Catholic University Medical School, Seoul, Korea. Kangsm@catholic.ac.kr

This is a statistical analysis based on the data of legal autopsies performed at the Headquarters of the National Institute Scientific Investigation(NISI), requested by every kind of law enforcement agencies during the year of 2006. NISI is located in Seoul, Korea and has three branches throughout the country. The Seoul NISI covers all legal autopsies in Seoul City, Incheon City and Kyunggi Province and some cases referred from other regions. This report aims to analyse various aspects of 2,515 unusual deaths in Korea, chiefly Seoul and its surrounding area. Followings are the summary of the results. 1. The number of male was 1,788 cases(71.1%) and that of female 727(28.9%). Male was over twice more than female. The forties were 709 cases(28.2%), the fifties 496(19.7%), and these two decades occupied 47.9%. 2. Unnatural deaths were 1,437 cases(57.1%), natural 955(38.0%), and the unknown 123(4.9%). Among 1,437 unnatural deaths, suicide was 366(25.5%), homicide 387(26.9%), accident 392(27.3%), and the unclear 292(20.3%). Homicide occupied 40.4% of trauma, 51.9% of blunt force injury excluding traffic and fall-down injury, and 91.2% of sharp force injury. The homicide rate in asphyxia was 33.2%, but it went up to 71.4% excluding hanging. It showed only 1.3% percent of homicide in poisoning. 3. Traumatic deaths were 681 cases, occupying 47.4% of 1,437 unnatural deaths, followed by drowning deaths(199 cases). Blunt trauma was 206 cases(30.2%) and the leading cause of death in traumatic death. Poisoning was 158 cases, among which the cyanides were dominant(37cases). Thermal injuries were 144 cases, electrocution 14 cases, and starvation/neglect 21 cases. and 17 cases were directly due to medical procedures. 4. Among 955 natural deaths, heart diseases were 495 cases(51.8%), and vascular diseases 165(17.3%), and these two categories were added up to 660(69.1%). 5. Child deaths under the age of 10 were 118 cases. Homicide was 35 cases(57.4%) out of 61 unnatural deaths. Neonates including still births were the leading period of age in unnatural death, counting 45 cases(38.1%).

Key words : legal autopsy, unusual death, homicide, statistical analysis