Hwang Woo-Suk’s fraudulent behavior, ethic violations, and financial machinations had an adverse effect not only on him, but also on six members of his team who “received varying levels of suspension” (Craine). However, the greatest frustration was felt by Hwang Woo-Suk’s potential patients who had nurtured hopes for miraculous recovery thanks to Professor’s findings. A lot of others were deceived even in the process of Hwang Woo-Suk’s conducting his research. Thus, those women who agreed to donate their eggs were “not fully informed of the potential risks and harms involved in the egg donation process or the nature of the research for which their eggs would be used” (“The Cloning Scandal of Hwang Woo-Suk”). So, it is obvious that Hwang Woo-Suk was not very strict in following the rules of scientific ethics and did not even care about the fact that some of his patients were hurt.
Of course, such dishonest behavior should be punished. People who do not follow their professional ethics and break the rules in such a bold way as Hwang Woo-Suk did must be deprived of all opportunities to practice in their sphere in the future. So, it is not right that Hwang Woo-Suk continues his work and even gets patents for the research which was once proved to be fraudulent. Such fraudulent scientists steal chances from honest researchers who can really bring benefit to the humanity. It is very good, though, that the case of Hwang Woo-Suk attracted public attention to the problem of egg donation. After the case, all works of this kind are studied with extreme scrutiny. Korea organized a National Bioethics Committee to keep an eye over the issue and a Korean Bioethics and Safety Act regulating egg donation was also approved. These things done are a good solution to the problem of scientific fraudulence and can help the world to avoid other fabricated research results.
So, Hwang Woo-Suk’s case shows how dishonest behavior of a person can negatively influence other people’s lives. Of course, such frauds are eventually revealed and the guilty ones are punished. It is also clear that the public makes conclusions and tries to improve the procedure of controlling future frauds. Unfortunately, though, Hwang Woo-Suk’s case also shows that in some years the people who were once accused of crimes are given a chance to continue their work and nobody knows if these people have really changed for the better.
Works Cited
Craine, Anthony G. “Hwang Woo-Suk.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 2 March 2016.
“Faked Research on Stem Cells is Confirmed by Korean Panel.” The New York Times 23 Dec. 2005. Web. 2 March 2016.
Pollack, Andrew. “Disgraced Scientist Granted U.S. Patent for Work Found to be Fraudulent.” The New York Times 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 March 2016.
“The Cloning Scandal of Hwang Woo-Suk.” Stem Cells: Biology, Bioethics, and Applications. Columbia University Center for Bioethics, n.d. Web. 2 March 2016.
