A forgery: the cloning (controversy) research

The scientific paper on cloning that rocked the world about cloning from South Korea has been found as forged. The South Korean scientist Hwang was found guilty by a university panel.

Hwang resigned from the university and apologized for his actions.

This has been taken very seriously by the university and the Seoul National University panel pledged to impose an unspecified heavy punishment on Hwang. The irony is that the same person was hailed as a national hero till this incident.

The fabrication was so perfect that it included his announcement in August that he had created Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog. The Time magazine named it the invention of the year for 2005.

In a rather touching moment Hwang made a statement surrounded by weeping students, "I apologize to the people for creating an unspeakable shock and disappointment. I step down as professor of Seoul National University."

Still marinating the stand, that he had invented the technology needed to clone human embryos and to produce stem cells that genetically match patients.

"Technology for patient-specific embryonic stem cells belongs to South Korea," Hwang said before leaving his lab. "And you will find out that this is true."

In a support stance for the scientist die-hard supporters, including some patients, insisted that Hwang be given a second chance.

"We determined that this is a grave misconduct that damages the foundation of science," was said by another scientist.

In another allegation it is said, "There is no way the fabrication was possible without Dr. Hwang's intervention. He partly admitted to this and our conclusion is supported by testimonies from other researchers. Dr. Hwang cannot escape taking grave responsibility."

The nine-member panel had investigated whether any stem cells in Hwang's lab were created through cloning or were ordinary cells extracted from surplus embryos at a fertility clinic. That work included verifying the authenticity of Hwang's 2004 paper and Snuppy, Roe said.

"The expulsion of Hwang doesn't lead to a stop in stem cell research in South Korea. South Korea has many stem cell researchers”, was another opinion cited.

According to, political leader Han, who was among the first to question Hwang's work, "Popular support was total. People had not listened to suspicions about Hwang. In a way, we were all chasing an optical illusion."