| In a May 12 article in the Los Angeles Times, Barbara | | | | Sun Jong. This is not to say that Hwang did not |
| Demick began her story about the indictment of | | | | commit fraud. He did. However, the Hwang saga |
| Hwang Woo-Suk and five associates with the text: | | | | illustrates how research pressures can cause bad |
| South Korean prosecutors announced today that | | | | acts, both as to a junior researcher (Kim Sun Jong) |
| they had charged scientist Hwang Woo-suk with | | | | and to a team leader (Hwang Woo Suk). Although |
| embezzlement and fraud, saying he misused public | | | | the May 12 Times article states that Hwang is now |
| funds for his fabricated experiments in human cloning. | | | | "despised as a charlatan," the current situation, |
| The article is interesting for what it didn't say | | | | especially in South Korea, is more complex. Hwang |
| concerning two areas that might be of relevance to | | | | wrote many articles which were accurate, and just |
| people interested in how Proposition 71 is going to | | | | as he was the perpetrator of fraud, he was also a |
| play out in California: the egg donation issue and the | | | | victim of fraud. And, just as people in California want |
| multiple fraud issue. | | | | to believe in the end result of stem cell research, so |
| Of egg procurement, the Times article did not | | | | do people in South Korea. |
| mention that Hwang Woo-Suk was also indicted for | | | | The story of Kim Sun Jong illustrates another point |
| violating the Korean law on bioethics, adopted in | | | | of relevance to Proposition 71. One of the selling |
| January 2005. He paid money to women to obtain | | | | points for state funding of stem cell research, in the |
| eggs for his research. | | | | presence of limitations in federal funding created by |
| In December 2005, a U.S. stem cell researcher in | | | | President Bush in 2001, was to forestall a loss of |
| commenting on what he saw as hyperventilation | | | | research presence from the United States to other |
| about the egg donation problem in Hwang's lab, that, | | | | countries. If there were no funding in the U.S., all of |
| "Now that [Hwang] has done his public mea culpa I | | | | the U.S. stars of stem cell research would pack up |
| say the time is to forgive him and let him get back | | | | and go to foreign countries more favorably disposed |
| to plying his considerable craft." The same researcher | | | | to stem cell research, and the U.S. would lose its |
| also wrote: We pay women to donate eggs for | | | | edge in this area of potential high impact. The story |
| infertility treatment, and on the whole the practice | | | | of Kim Sun Jong is a counterpoint to this thinking. |
| has been done reasonably well. Donation for ESC | | | | Working on a team perceived to be the world |
| research is as important. As long as full information, | | | | leaders in stem cell research, Kim Sun Jong, according |
| coverage, etc. are there, there is no reason per se | | | | to Korean prosecutors, falsified research results to |
| why some financial compensation is not provided. | | | | obtain exchange fellowships in the U.S. He succeeded |
| South Korea had adopted a strong legal framework | | | | in getting to the U.S., specifically to the lab of Gerald |
| concerning the procurement of human eggs. It was | | | | Schatten at the University of Pittsburgh, who has |
| violated almost immediately, and now we have an | | | | obtained the most federal support for stem cell |
| indictment. Although the Los Angeles Times had | | | | research. Ironically, in following up on leads of fraud |
| written on April 27: [CIRM] also has adopted | | | | done by Hwang, producers for Korean MBC-TV |
| top-notch standards for research ethics and the | | | | interviewed Kim Sun Jong in Pittsburgh on October |
| protection of potential egg donors, one notes that it | | | | 20, 2005, and, quite prophetically for that time, told |
| takes more than standards to see that people are | | | | Kim that both Science papers by Hwang would be |
| protected. Embryonic stem cell research requires | | | | retracted. |
| human eggs, and the pressure for researchers to | | | | In summary, in failing to mention the egg |
| obtain them is immense. Although it was widely | | | | procurement issue and the multiple fraud issue, the |
| rumored that Hwang Woo-Suk pressured | | | | May 12 article in the Los Angeles Times lost the |
| subordinates into donating eggs for his 2004 paper in | | | | opportunity to illuminate two issues of high impact in |
| Science, and later that he paid for eggs, little action | | | | the implementation of Proposition 71. Eggs will be |
| was taken at the time. | | | | needed to carry out embryonic stem cell research, |
| The theme of pressure is present in the multiple | | | | and the potential for abuse, and disregard of that |
| fraud issue in the Hwang matter. Although the May | | | | abuse, in obtaining eggs is a major, foreseeable, |
| 12 Times article wrote "prosecutors said Hwang and | | | | problem. Because the abuse in Korea occurred in the |
| an aide fabricated the data in two landmark papers," | | | | face of strong laws, the assertion that CIRM has |
| the situation is a bit more complicated. The | | | | adopted strong standards as to egg donation is not |
| prosecutors confirmed Hwang's initial claims that one | | | | the final answer to this issue. Pressure on researchers |
| of his junior researchers, Kim Sun Jong, falsified | | | | to obtain significant results can lead to fraud. The |
| results of the 2004 and 2005 studies and that Hwang | | | | Hwang matter involved independent frauds by at |
| was initially unaware of this falsification. This was not | | | | least two researchers, and does not fit neatly into |
| a one-person fraud, or a concerted two-person fraud. | | | | the "one bad apple" box. |
| Hwang was actually tricked by his subordinate Kim | | | | |