The Hwang Saga Continues: A Genetic Crossroads Exclusive
By Pete Shanks,
Genetic Crossroads
| 05. 12. 2006
|
|
|
Seoul National University
|
The downfall of South Korean cloning researcher Hwang Woo-Suk, formerly his country's "supreme scientist," continues to play out. Prosecutors have announced that Hwang and his associate Kim Sun-jong will be indicted on charges related to the unethical and illegal procurement of women's eggs. They are still considering criminal charges related to the scientific fraud itself and to embezzlement of government funds. Seoul National University (SNU) has announced that the buildings intended for the ill-fated World Stem Cell Hub, created by Hwang last fall, will now be used for a gene-therapy center focusing on work with adult stem cells.
CGS associate Pete Shanks visited Seoul in April to investigate the scandal further:
Seoul, the capital of South Korea is a huge, modern, vibrant megalopolis. "I didn't like California so much," commented one Korean activist, "Too slow. New York, that's more my speed."
South Korea as a whole is one of the most rapidly urbanizing countries on the planet - more than 80% urban, up from 57% 25 years ago. It has the 9th largest economy in the...
Related Articles
By Charles Schmidt, Undark | 09.25.2026
In 2010, scientists at the University of Tokyo and other institutions reported a startling achievement: They had successfully grown a pancreas made almost entirely of rat cells within the bodies of mice. The research was directed by Hiromitsu Nakauchi, a...
By Editors, Nature | 08.18.2026
Shinya Yamanaka doesn’t see himself as a celebrity. But people do recognize the stem-cell researcher when he’s out for a run, often while training for a marathon, on the streets of Kyoto, Japan.
Many of them call out words of...
By Jessica Hamzelou, MIT Technology Review | 07.30.2026
As of this week in Montana, any biotech company with an experimental drug has a clear path to selling it to consumers. Companies whose drugs have been through preliminary testing—sometimes in as few as 10 healthy people—can pay $12,500 to...
By Carl Zimmer and Marco Hernandez , The New York Times | 07.01.2026
Scientists have long dreamed of discovering the alchemy by which chemicals can be turned into life. On Wednesday, a team at the University of Minnesota announced that it had taken a major step toward that vision.
Blending together dozens of...
