The spectacular fall of South Korea’s best-known scientist Hwang Woo Suk for falsifying his embryonic stem cell research has shocked his own country and once again highlighted the importance of scientists’ integrity and ethical standards.
　　Hwang, 52, a professor at Seoul National University before he quit in disgrace in December 2005, gained an international reputation as a pioneer in stem cell research for two landmark papers in the American journal Science and for creating the world’s first cloned dog. In his paper published in February 2004, Hwang claimed his team had created the world’s first stem cells from a cloned human embryo. The second one published in June 2005 purported that he had the technology to use cloning to create human embryonic stem cells genetically matched to patients.
　　A breakthrough like this raised hopes of patients suffering from such ailments as spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s disease, for it marked another step toward an era when genetically specific tissue could be grown to repair damaged bodies. Hwang, always at the center of media hype, was hailed as a national hero by his countrymen, whose nationalism was greatly inspired by South Korea’s lead in this new frontier of human endeavor.
　　Yet, following a barrage of attacks against Hwang’s work, a probe panel was set up by Seoul National University in December 2005, which concluded that both articles in Science contained fabrications, although there was no evidence to challenge the authenticity of the cloning of a dog. The squad also found that Hwang had lied when he said he did not know that some of his subordinates had donated eggs for the research, raising the question of whether coercion was involved.
　　The discredited scientist acknowledged his use of fake data at a press conference in Seoul January 12 after denying charges on previous occasions. “I feel so miserable that it’s difficult even to say I’m sorry,” said Hwang. He attributed his wrongdoing to the self-imposed pressure to make his country excel in research in this area. Yet Hwang insisted that he was deceived by data provided by research staff at a partner research hospital, which caused the fraud in his two papers. He also repeated his earlier claim that his team did master the technology to produce tailored embryonic stem cells and added that he could repeat the process in six months if he was provided with enough human eggs.
　　The South Korean Government has stopped financing Hwang’s research and stripped him of his status as the nation’s first “Supreme Scientist.”
　　“Hwang’s discredited research showed not only how vulnerable professional publications are to fraud, but the extent to which governments and popular society defer to academic judgment.”
　　Editorial in St. Petersburg Times
　　“Even before this [scandal], I tended to feel that Koreans put too much focus on results of things and less focus on the process, or the transparency of the process. Korea is always hung up on being No.1 in the world.”
　　
　　Kim Yang Hee 26-year-old student at Seoul National University
　　
　　“It was as if Dr. Hwang had sent us a picture of him on top of Everest, but it happened not to be Everest. He lied to us about that and Everest is still there to climb. I feel bitterly disappointed and very let down.”
　　
　　Chris Shaw British stem cell researcher
　　
　　“I think we should give him [Hwang] another chance to prove he has the technology. When it’s proven that he cannot do it, it’s not too late to throw stones at him.”
　　

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