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Scandal Puts Focus on South Korean Culture
Korea's Stem-Cell Scandal Raises Questions About
Culture That Values Speed, Craves Attention

By BURT HERMAN Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea Dec 22, 2005 — Six-day work weeks from morning until night. Companies trumpeting bigger and bigger flat-screen TVs. A government that proclaims it wants to be a "hub" for everything from finance to robots. South Korea is fiercely committed to being No. 1, and doing it yesterday.

As South Korea's top scientist Hwang Woo-suk falls from his lofty perch amid a wave of allegations questioning his research, the country's competitive culture of always hurrying coupled with a healthy sense of national pride and craving for international recognition could be partly to blame.

"The Hwang Woo-suk case is a good example that in Korean society there still exists remnants of the past experience of fast growth," said Park Gil-sung, a sociology professor at Korea University. "It's a problem of our social system that desires fast results."

Hailed as the "Pride of Korea," Hwang and all of his purported breakthroughs are now being investigated by science journals and universities.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1435349&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

If he was a smarter man, he would have been okay. He was so arrogant and boastful. I still remember him a year ago on T.V saying Koreans are better than any western scientist because of chop sticks. The chop sticks train their hands so that they are more capable and talented than the western scientists.
He just couldn't keep his mouth shut. If he had limited his lies to even keeping up with the Western scientists he might have been okay. But no, he had to make these amazing claims that no other lab in the world was able to compete with. He just looks really pathetic and stupid.

vlcupper · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Location: Gangnam

This scandal makes me giggle like a 7 year old. Hee!

canuckistan · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:39 am Post subject:

It's quite amazing he tried to slide doctored research past the world's scientific community; surely he knew making the claims he did would be investigated.

Had quite a bad case of hubris as well--of the variety the Greeks warned about.

Greekfreak · Joined: 25 May 2003

You called?

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject:

Why do I get the feeling that, upon hearing this news, nearly every expat in Korea (with the exception of maybe Homer) laughed or shook their head inwardly as if they knew this could happen?

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

Like I said in another thread, this can only be a good thing. A Korean getting embarassed on the world stage for academic dishonesty is exactly what this country needs. Maybe then Koreans can ask some questions about why the education system here is so terrible.

vlcupper · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Location: Gangnam

cellphone · Joined: 18 Feb 2004

cellphone · Joined: 18 Feb 2004

anyway · Joined: 22 Oct 2005

What an embarrassment. I mean the guy was the toast of the town. Now he's just toast. Pitiful.

I agree with the comment that this country needs something like this to focus their attention. They need to be able to tell the sheet from the shinola. And then not step in it, too...

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

I love that he actually had a title from the president.

He was called " Supreme Scientist" in Korea. The supreme has been taken back and soon so will the scientist part.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Laugh all you want, but this will set stem cell research back a few decades.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue