Korea, Legal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

North Korea South Korea

What is in This Collection?
This A collection of legal records from Korea. This collection is being published as images become available.

Reading These Records
These records are in Chinese and Korean. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Chinese Genealogical Word List
 * South Korean Languages
 * North Korea Languages
 * Korean Names

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * Names of people involved in the event
 * Location of occurrence
 * What occurred
 * Time of event

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The ancestor's name plus other identifying information such as age residence and names of relatives
 * Place of the event
 * Time of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
This section can be made up of either sentences or bullet points.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
This section can be made up of either sentences or bullet points.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in North Korea and South Korea. Add these articles in the order as shown below. If an article does not exist, omit it from the list. If none of the articles exist, omit this section.
 * South Korea Record Finder
 * North Korea Record Finder

Citing This Collection
(Copy and Paste this section) Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used. Before the collection is published use this template for the collection citation

After the collection is published remove the word Not from the template so it reads as follows

How Can I Contribute to the FamilySearch Wiki?
[Korea, Legal Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]

Title in the Language of the Record
한국 법률 기록

Record Description
This collection will include records from 100-2015.

A collection of legal records from Korea.

Record Content
Legal records may contain the following information:

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Your Ancestor’s name
 * Other identifying information such as their residence, age, names of other family members and relationships.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate “Province (도, 시), City or County (시,군)” ⇒Select the appropriate “Title (제명), Year(년) 1982 and Volume( 권) and/or Page(페이지)” which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Korean using Chinese hanja characters. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the county code and the certificate number to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.
 * Try alternative search methods such as filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then do the search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
 * A boundary change could have occurred and the record of your ancestor is now in a neighboring locality.

General Information about These Records
Examples of what to put in this section:


 * Physical description or format of the original material


 * History of the record
 * Why the record was created
 * Reliability of the information in the record
 * Percentage of the population covered in the record
 * Preservation quality of the record

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.