Autopsy is the first step to solving a case. It is for the deceased, but it is also to protect the living. If we do not accurately determine the cause of death, the same thing will happen again.
On the 8th at the National Forensic Service headquarters in Wonju, Gangwon, National Forensic Service forensic pathologist Park So-hyung explained the meaning of autopsy this way. Determining the reason for death from a body that cannot speak. Park did not limit it to merely "the task of determining the cause of death." An autopsy, Park said, is a process of protecting public safety through one person's death.
Appointed to the National Forensic Service in 2009, Park has handled autopsies for 17 years. Depending on the extent of damage to the body, an autopsy is divided into an external examination that checks only the surface and a full postmortem that involves dissection. One National Forensic Service forensic pathologist handles about 200 to 300 autopsies a year. Excluding weekends, that means processing at least one case a day.
Autopsy cases are commonly those classified as "unexplained deaths." Park said, "Unexplained death does not refer only to deaths directly related to crime," and noted, "All deaths in which the cause is unknown or the possibility of a crime cannot be ruled out are subject to investigation." They include deaths from disease, accidents, lonely deaths, and infectious diseases.
The starting point of such unexplained death cases is always identification. Park emphasized that Korea's system is very unusual by global standards at this point.
Through the resident registration system, Korea collects and stores the fingerprints of all 10 fingers of every citizen aged 17 and older. As a result, once the fingerprints of the deceased are secured, identification typically ends within 30 minutes. Park said, "The rapid identification system through fingerprints is the part foreign investigative agencies envy most," adding, "What matters most is returning the deceased to their family as quickly as possible."
In recognition of these contributions, Park received the prime minister's commendation at the 11th Korea Public Official Awards. But Park was cautious about describing autopsy as a "contribution" or "achievement." The reason is that autopsy is not something completed by an individual's ability. Park said, "A forensic pathologist is not the only one involved in solving a case," and added, "Police, administrative and judicial systems move together, and an autopsy is not a personal examination but a process in which the state operates."
Autopsy is often perceived as "shedding light on death," but Park emphasized that its scope is not limited strictly to the deceased. Park cited infectious disease situations such as COVID-19 as an example.
Park said this perspective has already taken root as the core philosophy of autopsy systems in many advanced countries. If the cause of death is determined accurately, the same thing will not be repeated and risks to society as a whole can be reduced.
A National Forensic Service forensic pathologist is a specialist who must complete 11 years of training, including four years of medical school, one year of internship, and four years of residency. They can open a clinic or take a job at a private hospital, but conditions for forensic pathologists are relatively poor. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of 2022, the average annual salary for doctors in Korea exceeds 300 million won, but the starting salary for forensic pathologists, including night duty allowances, is about 70 million to 80 million won. Not a few quit midway for practical reasons.
Even so, Park chose this path. Park said, "During my residency, I was dispatched to the National Forensic Service for duty and received specialized training, and I found it interesting in that process," and added, "What appealed to me most was understanding disease and accidents through the whole body, not by looking only at a single organ."