한국어 교육을 위한 법률 어휘의 말뭉치 기반 분석 -「경찰수사규칙」의 의미기능을 중심으로-

Choi, Yeseul⋅Kim, Kanghee. 2026. 3. 31. A Corpus-Based Study of Legal Vocabulary for Korean Language Education: Semantic Functions in the Police Investigation Rules. Bilingual Research 103, 403-429. This study examines the characteristics of legal Korean vocabulary used during the police investigation stage and explores how such vocabulary can be incorporated into Korean language education in response to the growing demand for judicial interpreters. Focusing on the Police Investigation Rules, which govern the initial stage following the reporting of a crime, the study analyzes noun vocabulary appearing in investigation-related provisions and forms from a semantic-functional perspective. Using corpus-based methods and cluster analysis conducted through a programming language, the study objectively extracted and classified vocabulary items according to their functional characteristics. The results show that high-frequency core vocabulary includes not only specialized legal terms but also a substantial number of basic vocabulary items already familiar to learners through Korean language education or everyday use. These items function in combination with legal terms and undergo semantic expansion in contexts such as document preparation, legal judgment, and victim protection and support. The findings suggest that legal vocabulary is not an isolated set of specialized terms, but rather a functional linguistic resource organized according to the demands of the investigative process. Based on this analysis, the study proposes an instructional approach that builds on learners’ existing vocabulary knowledge and gradually expands their understanding of legal meanings and usage functions, rather than treating legal Korean as a completely separate linguistic domain. This approach provides a foundational basis for designing Korean language education related to the Police Investigation Rules and for training prospective judicial interpreters. (Yonsei University)