Murder Records of the Forgotten

This book offers a groundbreaking perspective on everyday life in premodern Korea through the lens of historical true crime. Based on nearly 500 homicide reports (??, geom-an) preserved in the Kyujanggak Archives of Seoul National University, this book — a translation from its original Korean — uncovers the emotional, social, and legal landscapes of the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) by documenting how ordinary people — women, farmers, concubines, labourers — navigated violence, justice, and morality. Through vivid, real-life murder investigations, the book brings to life forgotten stories of jealousy, vengeance, betrayal, and grief, revealing not only crime and punishment, but the texture of everyday life in a deeply hierarchical and emotionally charged society. The narratives draw from legal testimonies, forensic reports, and confessions — sources rarely translated or analysed in English — and restores humanity to those long excluded from official history. Bridging Korean historiography, global microhistory, and the narrative power of true crime, this book is both a pioneering academic resource and an accessible, emotionally resonant volume that will appeal to researchers in law and legal history, Korean history, criminology, gender studies, and sociology, as well as general interest readers drawn to true crime history.