2005-11-28

Giru Lee

 

 

The Controversy over Hwang Woo Suk’s Research

 

 

When Woo Suk Hwang and his research team succeeded in reproducing a human germ stem-cell in February 2004, the world was surprised that this almost impossible research was done in such a small country by a less known scientist. Many people applauded the success and wondered about the possibilities stem-cell studies might bring. Some people discussed over how stem-cells could be used to cure patients, and some people suggested that stem-cells elongate our life span. Many Koreans, proud of having such renowned scientist, proposed to grant special awards to Hwang. Some of them even worshipped him, believing him to be the first Korean scientist to win the Novel Prize.

However, about a year and a half passed, the situation is quite controversial. When Nature suspected about the source of human eggs in its article “Korea's stem-cell stars dogged by suspicion of ethical breach” in May 2004, the applauding atmosphere was too great to pose much doubt. Yet, as the provider of eggs on the research admitted paying money to the patients on November 18, 2005, and Gerald P. Schatten, Hwang’s partner in Pittsburg University refused to participate on further research with Hwang, the doubt of illegal acquisition of human eggs has become obvious and unavoidable issue. On November 24, Hwang finally made a press interview and resigned from all the official titles he had.

Upon his resignation, many Koreans sympathized with him; many women lined up to donate their eggs. After a TV program named “PD’s Notes” in MBC discussed the danger of Hwang’s research and the dark aspect related to the illegal acquisition, so many angered Koreans accessed to MBC’s website that the website was paralyzed for a few hours. Some people considered the accusation as foreign scientists’ attempt to diminish the importance of Hwang’s success, showing much protective attitude over Hwang and his research.

Indeed, in his press interview in Nov. 24, Hwang stated that he had unheard of the Declaration of Helsinki, which dealt over the ethical guidelines researchers on human body must follow in 1964. He added that although he apologized for the misdeeds, not much guidelines existed, for his research was an innovative one, for which no one had made any rules. Yet, his statements leave some questions, for instance, how could a researcher who continued his study for more than ten years be unheard of the Declaration of Helsinki, and why Hwang did not admit that his researchers provided eggs for him when the question was first posed by Nature. As Young Mo Koo of Korean Bioethics Association requested, further investigation must be given on Hwang’s research, regardless of the sympathetic reactions Koreans have shown.

  Research on human stem-cells has innumerable possibilities on incurable diseases and human life span, but such possibilities can not justify the use of illegal, unethical methods. If Hwang’s research continues without further investigation because of the protective atmosphere in Korea, it might be used as dangerous precedent to future researchers on human bodies. For example, during the World War II, German and Japanese doctors made many important discoveries by testing on the innocent capturers. Although some of us benefit from the discoveries today, it is of no doubt that such tests should not be repeated. Therefore, a less protective and more composite attitude over Hwang Woo Suk is needed at this point.

References

 

Books

Beauchamp, Tom. Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 6^th Ed. New York : Wadsworth, 2002

Gwun, Bokgyu. Bioethics & Law(생명윤리와 법), Seoul: Ihwa Univ. Press, 2005

 

Newspapers & Magazines

                  Kim, Gilwon. “Prof. Hwang, the Issue of Bioethics.” YP News 24 Nov. 2005

Jang, Seihun. “the Truth between Hwang and Schatten”, Korean Economics 17 Nov. 2005

Kang, Chungsik. “Hwang Resigns from all the Public Positions.” Seoul News 25 Nov. 2005

Cyranoski, David. “Stem-cell pioneer resigns.” Nature 24 Nov. 2005

Cyranoski, David. “Korea's stem-cell stars dogged by suspicion of ethical breach.” Nature
May 2004

 

Web Pages

Buyeo-gun. “The Honored Scientist of Buyeo – Hwang Woo Suk” Nov. 2005 Nov. 2005
< http://www.hwangws.or.kr/>

Soo Hahn “Prof. Hwang Woo Suk, Seoul Nat’l Univ.” Jan. 2004 Nov. 2005
<http://www.organtrans.org/people/Hwang.htm>