Korean J Leg Med.  2013 Nov;37(4):198-207. 10.7580/kjlm.2013.37.4.198.

The Statistical Analysis on Legal Autopsy Performed in Korea during 2012 Year

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Forensic Medicine, National Forensic Service, Seoul, Korea. pdrdream@gmail.com

Abstract

This statistical analysis of 4,709 legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2012 was conducted to obtain primary data about and related variables. The analysis revealed the following: 1. Of the total number of deaths, men accounted for and women, 26.8%. Evidently, the number of deaths among men was more than twice that among women. 2. With respect to mode of death, 54.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 39.2% were natural deaths, and 6.0% had unknown causes. Of the 2,581 unnatural deaths, 44.8% were accidental deaths; 27.2%, suicidal; 17.5%, homicidal; and 10.3%, undetermined. 3. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 43.0% were trauma-related deaths, for which falling down was the leading cause, accounting for 33.5% cases. Asphyxiation was accounted for 17.2%, among which the predominant cause was hanging (55.3%). Moreover, 12.5% of deaths were due to drowning; 11.5%, poisoning; 11.2%, thermal injuries; 2.7%, complications in medical procedures; and 0.3%, electrocution, starvation, or neglect. 4. Among 1,847 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 50.2% and vascular diseases accounted for 16.7%. 5. There were 207 cases of deaths among children under the age of 10, of which 94 were unnatural and 49 were homicidal deaths. Of all cases, 9.2% had an unknown cause of death, and of these 67.6%, were putrefied or skeletonized bodies.

Keyword

Autopsy; Cause of death; Manner of death; Statistic; Korea

MeSH Terms

Autopsy*
Cause of Death
Child
Drowning
Female
Heart Diseases
Humans
Korea*
Male
Poisoning
Skeleton
Starvation
Vascular Diseases

Cited by  13 articles

Bath-related Deaths in Korea between 2008–2015
Kyungmoo Yang, Byung Ha Choi, Bongwoo Lee, Seong Ho Yoo
J Korean Med Sci. 2018;33(14):.    doi: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e108.

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2017
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Kyung-moo Yang, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2018;42(4):111-125.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.4.111.

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2016
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2018;42(1):8-21.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.1.8.

Distribution of Trauma Deaths in a Province of Korea: Is “Trimodal” Distribution Relevant Today?
Kyungjin Hwang, Kyoungwon Jung, Junsik Kwon, Jonghwan Moon, Yunjung Heo, John Cook-Jong Lee, Yo Huh
Yonsei Med J. 2020;61(3):229-234.    doi: 10.3349/ymj.2020.61.3.229.

An Evaluation of the Effect of Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Program Implemented in a New Regional Trauma Center of Korea
Yo Huh, Junsik Kwon, Jonghwan Moon, Byung Hee Kang, Sora Kim, Jayoung Yoo, Seoyoung Song, Kyoungwon Jung
J Korean Med Sci. 2021;36(22):e149.    doi: 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e149.

Infective Endocarditis: An Autopsy Case Report with Literature Review
Joo-Young Na, Whee-Yeol Cho, Jeong-Woo Park, Yoo-Duk Choi, Hyung-Seok Kim, Jong-Tae Park
Korean J Leg Med. 2014;38(2):78-82.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.2.78.

A Classification of Asphyxia Autopsy Cases of the Korea in 2012 according to New Classification of Asphyxia
Joo Young Na, Jong Pil Park, Kyung-Moo Yang, Nak-Eun Chung, Han Young Lee
Korean J Leg Med. 2014;38(1):8-12.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.1.8.

The Efficacy of Connexin 43 Expression in the Myocardium as an Early Ischemic Marker in Forensic Autopsy
Jae Woo Ahn, Gi Yeong Huh
Korean J Leg Med. 2015;39(1):6-11.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.1.6.

Profile of Forensic Autopsy Practices in Small Towns and Cities in Rural Areas
Sohyung Park, Byung Ha Choi, Hyejin Park, Hyoung-Joong Kim, Young-Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2015;39(3):55-66.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.3.55.

A Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2014
Jung Sik Jang, Seon Jung Jang, Byung Ha Choi, Han Young Lee, Nak Eun Chung, Joong Seok Seo
Korean J Leg Med. 2015;39(4):99-108.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2015.39.4.99.

A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2015
Ji Hye Park, Joo-Young Na, Bong Woo Lee, Nak Eun Chung, Young Shik Choi
Korean J Leg Med. 2016;40(4):104-118.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.4.104.

Analysis of Death due to Poisoning in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Areas
Woo-Young Choi, Hye-Jeong Kim, Joo-Young Na, Su-Jin Lee, Young-Jik Lee, Jong-Tae Park, Hyung-Seok Kim
Korean J Leg Med. 2016;40(3):72-77.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.3.72.

Statistical Analysis of Legal Autopsy Cases Performed in the Jeollabuk-do Province of Korea in 2016
Seung Jin Yoo, Ho Lee, Sang Jae Noh
Korean J Leg Med. 2017;41(4):107-114.    doi: 10.7580/kjlm.2017.41.4.107.


Reference

1. Pard EU. Consented autopsy. Korean J Leg Med. 2011; 35:85–91.
2. Lee HY. A statistical observation on medicolegal autopsy in 1997. Korean J Leg Med. 1998; 22:48–51.
3. Lee WT, Cho JH, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2001: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2002; 26:1–9.
4. Lee WT, Cho JH, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2002: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2003; 27:1–9.
5. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2003: the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Korean J Leg Med. 2004; 28:23–31.
6. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2004 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2005; 29:121–9.
7. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2005 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2006; 30:107–15.
8. Lee WT, Cho WY, Ki CD, Kim JK, Kang SM. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2006 (the headquarters of National Institute of Scientific Investigation). Korean J Leg Med. 2007; 31:139–46.
9. Choi MS, Park JH, Lee HY, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsy in 2010 (the headquarters of National Forensic Service). Korean J Leg Med. 2011; 35:130–7.
10. Na JY, Park JP, Choi MS, et al. The statistical analysis on legal autopsies in 2011 (the headquarters of National Foresnsic Service). Korean J Leg Med. 2012; 36:165–73.
11. Na JY, Min BW, Lee YJ, et al. The statistical analysis on the legal autopsy cases in Gwangju and Chonnam area of Korea in 2007 and 2008. Korean J Leg Med. 2009; 33:32–9.
12. Yun JJ. Forensic medicine. Seoul: Korea;1995. 9.
13. Korea Standard Classification of Disease (KCD). Korea Medical Record Association. Available from:. http://kostat.go.kr.
14. Hong CE. Pediatrics. 7th ed.Seoul: Dehan;2001. p. 15–6.
15. Statistics Korea. Available at. http://kosis.kr/.
16. Koran National Police Agency. Statistical data of unnatural deaths.
17. Kapusta ND, Tran US, Rockett IR, et al. Declining autopsy rates and suicide misclassification: a cross-national analysis of 35 countries. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; 68:1050–7.
18. Na JY, Min BW, Lee YJ, et al. The discrepancy of the causes of death between medical certificates and autopsy reports. Korean J Leg Med. 2009; 33:10–8.
19. Huh GY, Kim KH, Jo GR, et al. Differences in the determination of cause and manner of 127 natural death cases by postmortem inspection and autopsy. Korean J Leg Med. 2013; 37:9–13.
Article
Full Text Links
  • KJLM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr