South Korea stem cell success 'faked'

The stem cell research scandal continues to brew here with the BBC now reporting that much of the research of stem cell pioneer Dr. Hwang Woo-suk appears to have been faked.

Click here to view the BBC News report.

This is explosive stuff. Dr. Hwang had been elevated to the level of national hero, and success in the stem cell/cloning field has become a matter of national pride. Some are already calling these developments a "national humiliation". It is hard to overestimate the impact this story has here—even my grade four students know who Dr. Hwang is, and have talked proudly of his accomplishments. The shock of recent news is palpable.

Update: Dr. Hwang has been removed by the editors of Scientific American from his honored position as Research Leader of the Year on the 2005 Scientific American 50 list.

More news links:
The Cloning Crisis Clouding Korea
Hwang Crucial for Korea’s Image
SNU Sets Up Panel to Check Hwang Research
Hwang Shock Sends Stocks Into Freefall
U.S. Scientist Withdraws Name From Hwang Paper