한국법연구에서 구술사의 역할

This research aims to identify the areas of inquiry where oral history is encountered and to suggest the possibilities and usefulness of interdisciplinary research in Law & Oral History. Oral history is the direct investigation of undocumented sources. In short, oral history research is “history written through the dialogue between an oralist and a historian, bringing past experiences into the present through memory.” This research plays a role in countering, complementing, and changing the text-centred research and the resulting knowledge system, and can sometimes play a role in re-establishing existing facts in individual cases. Oral history research in law has not been actively attempted in Korea, but there is a great need to study law through oral (life) history and oral methodology. Oral history research can not only supplement official archival sources through interviews with elite groups, but also contribute to the recording and knowledge of the experiences and perspectives of marginalised groups in law. It helps to reproduce diverse perspectives, rather than viewing the law from the perspective of the legal and juridical elite. To do so, this article first examines the significance and limitations of current Korean legal research, and then refers to oral history research on the achievements of legal and social movements that have paid attention to law in action, rather than law in books, as case studies. This research aims to shed light on the role of oral history in Korean legal studies, and the implication of archives in Korean movements of Law & Society.