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Korea¡¯s biggest steelmaker POSCO and other companies that had rallied
behind Prof. Hwang Woo-suk and funded his research were stunned into
silence on Friday after it emerged that the prominent scientist
submitted flawed data to support his claim of groundbreaking success in
cloning stem cells tailored to individual patients. Businesses in April formed an organization to support Hwang, with
the number of members growing rapidly to 5,015 on Dec. 9 and donations
exceeding W3.8 billion (about US$3.8 million) in the wake of an MBC
program that first cast aspersions on Hwang¡¯s research. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) hosted a
Biomedical Symposium at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, on Oct. 18
bringing together leading international embryologists including Prof.
Ian Wilmut of Edinburgh University, the creator of the world¡¯s first
cloned sheep Dolly. KITA chairman Kim Jae-cheol on Friday declined to
comment saying the truth had yet to be revealed, according to an
official. POSCO and Seoul National University in November last year
agreed to donate W1.5 billion for Hwang¡¯s research over the next five
years. POSCO also had its Brazilian branch hire bodyguards for Prof.
Hwang when he attended a seminar in Curitiba there. The firm also
declined to comment. Korean Air, another financial supporter for Prof. Hwang, is also embarrassed.
Hwang was given free first-class flights on all sectors valid
for 10 years. Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho himself delivered the
voucher to Hwang in June. A Korean Air official said the company made
the decision to help Prof. Hwang work on board, adding it was up to the
geneticist to decide whether to continue to use the privilege. Other businesses are watching with bated breath from a
distance. An official with the Federation of Korean Industries said it
was time for all the third parties to fall silent, adding the
controversy should not discourage biotechnology research, a new driving
force behind the nation¡¯s growth. (englishnews@chosun.com )
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