This collection presents and analyzes inquest records that tell the stories of ordinary Korean people under the Choson court (1392-1910). Extending the study of this period, usually limited to elites, into the realm of everyday life, each inquest record includes a detailed postmortem examination and features testimony from everyone directly or indirectly related to the incident. The result is an amazingly vivid, colloquial account of the vibrant, multifaceted sociocultural and legal culture of early modern Korea.
It thanks to writer June Hur that I was introduced to this book. This is recommended for history lovers in general but is a must read for anyone interested in Korean history and or investigating tactics of the past. I learned a lot from this book and enjoyed it despite the subject matter.