Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

In February a group in South Korea had derived a line of embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo (W. S. Hwang et al. Science 303, 1669–1674; 2004). Questions are being raised about how the researchers managed to recruit so many women prepared to donate their eggs for the project. One such question is why a PhD student, who was a co-author on the paper, initially told Nature she was an egg donor but later changed her story.

In the context of South Korean society, it's easy to see how students involved in such a project might, with the best of intentions, want to donate their eggs. Korea is an intensely patriotic country, in which the desire to help others is deeply ingrained. The prospect of helping sick patients, and demonstrating that Korea is capable of world-leading research, would be a powerful motivating factor. In such circumstances, say bioethicists, procedures should be in place to ensure that the donors are all volunteers with no direct connection to the research. The principal investigators must now demonstrate that such safeguards were in place, and that they were rigorously applied.
Nature 429, 1 (06 May 2004); doi:10.1038/429001b
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v429/n6987/full/429001b_fs.html
Stem-cell research: Crunch time for Korea's cloners
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v429/n6987/full/429012a_fs.html

Is this true that the "desire to help others is deeply ingrained"? Perhaps, the obedience to seniors or bosses is deeply ingrained.

The article presented as evidence an interview with K, a PhD student with the team, in which she said the donors included herself and another woman from the lab. However, she later called back and said that she had not donated eggs, instead blaming her poor English as the cause for the misunderstanding, "Nature" added.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200405/200405060035.html

[Real Reality]

Cloning Scientist Rebuffs Nature Journal's Claim
"Nature's claim is totally groundless. I swear none of my students donated eggs for the research. For some reasons, the journal is trying to undermine our study," Hwang said.

After interviewing one of Hwang's Ph.D. female students, Nature reported the student initially told the journal the egg donors included herself and another woman in the lab. According to Nature, the student called back later and said that she had not donated eggs, blaming her poor English for a misunderstanding.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200405/kt2004050917134611780.htm

[dogbert]

[Real Reality]

Perhaps, the editors at Nature are being too suspicious?

Korean Scientist Accused of Plagiarism
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/tech/200401/kt2004010417455311790.htm

Plagiarism in Cambridge physics lab prompts calls for guidelines
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v427/n6969/full/427003a_fs.html

Professors Cheat to Maintain SCI Scores
http://www.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200204/200204251020.html