조선말기 살인사건 조사의 과학성 검토, 1895 - 1907 - 규장각 소장 檢案에 수록된 凶器 그림의 기초 분석 -

Abstract

A traditional post-mortem report, called kŏman, was one of the records typically used to investigate murder cases during the late Chosŏn Dynasty in Korea. Despite the variety of pictures available in kŏman, only the shape of corpses (including the front and back views) has attracted the attention of researchers thus far. The current study applies a new methodology that involves pictures of homicide tools used at the end of kŏman. In particular, rough sketches of murder weapons and their dimensions as reported in kŏman are empirically analyzed. Results of the study are as follows. First, whether the weapons have been actually measured is reevaluated. Second, the objectivity of a post-mortem examination is critically analyzed. Third, the reinterpretation of the report process indicates the formalism of public administration during on-the-spot inspections in the late Chosŏn Dynasty. In addition, this study demonstrates the value of kŏman as a historical material in conducting research on the history of everyday life.