• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.256-263
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• 2008

Based on the analysis of criminal investigators' recognition of judicial autopsy, this study presented policy alternatives as follows. First, a procedure is needed that optometrists and investigators jointly make previous explanations to bereaved families the status of investigation and the results of examination to their satisfaction and collect their opinions, for the purpose of obtaining an agreement to autopsy from them. Second, the dignity of the dead should be kept. To this end, particular consideration should be given to women bodies. Also, we need to minimize the number of autopsy witnesses and obtain agreement from bereaved families when there is an on-the-spot study. Third, we need to establish a guideline that investigators could request a warrant later in certain cases of dead bodies. Also, if a bereaved family positively asks for autopsy, it should be allowed through tentatively named ‘Request for Autopsy.’ Finally, To make a careful decision on whether an autopsy should be made or not, we can form a joint investigation team of public prosecutors and criminal investigators; however, an autopsy should be done only if it is deemed inevitable, considering the bereaved family's opinion.

• The Korean Journal of Legal Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.159-163
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• 2018

Progressive muscular dystrophy (PMD) is a primary muscle disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting, which is inherited by an X-linked recessive pattern and occurs mainly in males. There are several types of muscular dystrophies classified according to the distribution of predominant muscle weakness including Duchenne and Becker, Emery-Dreifuss, facioscapulohumeral, oculopharyngeal, and limb-girdle type. Clinical manifestations of PMD are clumsy, unsteady gait, pneumonia, heart failure, pulmonary edema, hydropericardium, hydrothorax, aspiration, syncopal attacks, and sudden cardiac death. The deceased was a 34-year-old man, and the onset of the first clinical symptom, gait disturbance, was in his late teens. His elder brother had the same disease and experienced brain death after a head trauma and died after mechanical ventilation was discontinued. After an autopsy, we found contracture of the joints, pseudohypertrophy of the calf, wasting and fat replacement of the thigh muscle, pericardial effusion (80 mL), fibrosis and fat replacement of the cardiac ventricular wall, pulmonary edema, and froth in the bronchus. The cause of death was heart failure and dyspnea due to muscular dystrophy. There was no sign or suspicion of foul play in his death.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.276-283
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• 2012

Current Administrative Death investigation system is have many problems. Almost local governor don't exercise about administrative death investigation authority. Thus, prosecutors have to many decisions about judicial death investigation authority. Consequently, these vicious cycle is repeated. There is not clear regulations about scope for judicial death investigation. Discussed in this paper improve the Administrative Death investigation system are as follows : First, the uniform act of death investigation is have to legislated. Second, the scope for death investigation is clearly legalized. Medical examiner is must administrative death investigation according to the law. Also prosecutor can order to judicial autopsy to medic examiner. Third, Administrative Death investigation rules should be clarified. Introduce a Medical Examiner System Korean Administrative Death Investigation system centered on prosecutor and judicature who are not a specialist in pathology or forensic medicine. Lacking in professional understanding cause less accuracy of Administrative Death Investigation. To overcome limitations and problems of our Administrative Death Investigation system is suggested to introduce a Medical Examiner system.