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Research Fabrication Shocks Nation(Korea Times)By Kim Rahn Shock and bewilderment was the response from the public Friday to a conclusion by Seoul National University (SNU)'s investigation panel that professor Hwang Woo-suk fabricated his team's stem cell research. The public expressed disappointment, discouragement and even indignation at the hero-turned-liar professor. Some, however, said the nation should use the case as an impetus to advance the nation's science field. ``I was touched every time Hwang said things like `I want to make Kang Won-lae, singer who was paralyzed from the waist down, walk,''' a 35-year-old man working at a biomedical company said. ``Every person in the nation had hope, but we were all deceived,'' he said. A 60-year-old barber also said his trust in Hwang was betrayed and he was disappointed. ``But I still don't want to believe that everything was a lie,'' he added. An Internet user with an ID ``ch2620'' said, ``The real problem lies not with an individual scientist's fall, but with the fact that the scandal has destroyed an opportunity for the future of the nation's technology and discouraged hopes for the disabled.'' A civic coalition for the monitoring of biotechnology said in a statement that Hwang damaged the foundation of the science and kept hampering the revelation of the truth with lies, demanding Hwang take the responsibility for it. ``The government, the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae, and the press are also responsible for supporting the repeated lies and fabricated research. The government should stop financial support for Hwang's study,'' the coalition said. Jeong Ha-gyun, chairman of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association, said he believed Hwang had the stem cell technology but the outcome shocked him. ``With such fabrication, Hwang's resignation is unavoidabl,'' Jeong said. Professors showed regret and a cautious approach on the issue, hoping the scandal would not hamper the whole nation's biotechnology studies. ``Many other scientists also work on cloning studies such as cloning cattle. The problem is that the government's support focuses too much on study for practical use rather than basic study, and researchers are put under too much pressure in this situation,'' said Suh Hwal, professor of the medicine college at Yonsei University. ``The fabrication of Hwang's research was also drawn partly from the pressure, as they were forced to say they can put the stem cell study to the practical use of treating patients soon, though in fact, they cannot,'' Suh said. Konkuk University's veterinary medical college professor Song Chang-sun pointed out that the nation lacks experts or organizations that can verify such fabrications. ``South Korean universities and institutes need to have a review body to prevent such fabrications from recurring,'' Song said. In the meantime, members of Hwang's online support community ``I love Hwang Woo-suk'' showed their unwavering support for the professor. They plan to hold meetings with candlelight tonight near the Chonggyechon stream in central Seoul and other major cities to show their support. The Health and Welfare Ministry is busy trying to grasp the details of the situation as a whole. The ministry had planned to provide the World Stem Cell Hub with 7.5 billion won of operation costs and 4 billion won of research expenses, but the scheme is expected to be completely scrapped. The ministry is considering reviewing the support program for all stem cell studies, as it needs to thoroughly inspect would-be-support beneficiaries to decide whether their research is really worthwhile. It will also conduct an investigation on the ethical aspects of Hwang's study, including the procedure of obtaining ova and the organization of the SNU's institutional review board that approved Hwang's research. Politicians both of the ruling and opposition parties expressed regret over the news of Hwang's fabricated research, but also said the support and study of biotechnology must continue. ``The government will put greater effort into ensuring science studies are supported and that the support is effective,'' Jun Byung-hun, the ruling Uri Party spokesman, said. The Grand National Party, however, said the National Assembly needs to investigate how deeply the government has been involved in the case. |