Korean J Leg Med KJLM Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2383-5702 2383-5710 The Korean Society for Legal Medicine 10.7580/kjlm.2018.42.1.8 Original Article A Statistical Analysis on Forensic Autopsies Performed in Korea in 2016 Park Ji Hye 1 Na Joo-Young 2 Lee Bong Woo 3 Choi Young Shik 4 Forensic Medicine Division, National Forensic Service Gwangju Institute, Jangseong, Korea. Biomedical Research Institute, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea. Medical Examiner's Office, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea. National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea. Correspondence to Joo-Young Na. Biomedical Research Institute, Chonnam National University Hospital, 42, Jebong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61469, Korea. Tel: +82-62-220-5716, Fax: +82-62-225-9402, pdrdream@gmail.com 02 2018 28 02 2018 42 1 8 21 09 02 2018 18 02 2018 23 02 2018 © Copyright 2018 by the Korean Society for Legal Medicine 2018 The Korean Society for Legal Medicine This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

A statistical analysis was performed on national forensic autopsy data collected in the Republic of Korea during 2016 to overcome regional limitations and limitations from the number of unusual deaths as reported in the literature over the previous year. A total of 8,335 cases were categorized based on the region, based on requests by the Police Agency and the Coast Guard, gender, age, manner of death, and cause of death. Analysis of the manner of death revealed that 4,028 cases (48.3%) were of unnatural death, 3,447 cases (41.4%) were of natural death, and 860 cases (10.3%) were of unknown death. Among the unnatural deaths, the majority of the manner of deaths (1,584 cases, 39.3%) was accidents, 1,378 cases (34.2%) were suicides, 428 cases (10.6%) were homicides, and 638 cases (15.8%) were undetermined deaths. Among the unnatural deaths, the majority of the cause of deaths (1,518 cases, 37.7%) was due to trauma, followed by 827 cases (20.5%) of poisoning and 732 cases (18.2%) of asphyxia. Falling was the major cause of death by trauma (668 cases, 44.0%). Based on a previous study about asphyxia, strangulation was the major cause, with 569 cases (77.7%). Among the natural deaths, heart disease was the major cause (1,727 cases, 50.1%), followed by vascular disease (587 cases, 17.0%).

 Autopsy Cause of death Statistical data interpretation Korea National Forensic Service NFS2017MED04 Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Forensic Service (NFS2017MED04), Ministry of Interior, Republic of Korea.

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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Chungnam includes Sejong. Subtotal 1 includes police agency, except coast guard; subtotal 2 includes coast guard, except police agency; total includes police agency and coast guard.

Autopsy rate 1, autopsies/deaths; Autopsy rate 2, autopsies/unusual deaths; PA, police agency; CG, coast guard.

 Age, sex, and manner of death of total number of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Cause of death and sex in unnatural death of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Cause of death in trauma of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Fatal sites of blunt force injury and manner of death of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%). Total number includes four cases of combined cause of death.

TSH, traunatic shock; PSH, primary shock.

 Fatal sites of sharp force injury and manner of death of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%). Total number includes three cases of combined cause of death.

 Cause of death in asphyxia of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified; NOS, not otherwise specified.

 Cause of death in poisoning of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Cause of death in thermal injury of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Cause of death and sex in natural death of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

SMDS, sudden manhood death syndrome; SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome.

 Cause of death and sex in miscellaneous natural death of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

 Manner of death in children under 10 of legal autopsies performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

Neonate, birth–4 weeks; Infancy, 1 month–1 year; Preschool, 2–5 years; Prepuberty, 6–9 years; M, male; F, female; NI, not identified.

 Analysis of unknown cause of death cases performed in Korea in 2016

Values are presented as number (%).

Infancy, 1 month–1 year.

 Deaths, unusual deaths and autopsies in Korea from 2012 to 2016 Cause of death of legal autopsies in Korea from 2012 to 2016

Values are presented as percentage.