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Reporting from Seoul -
Disgraced South Korean cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk was found guilty by a Seoul court today of embezzling from his stem cell research fund and illegally buying human embryos.
The court also ruled that the 56-year-old Hwang, who became a national hero after he claimed to be the first to successfully clone human stem cells, had partially fabricated the results of his research. He was given a suspended jail sentence.
"He feels deeply sorry that this case elicited so much criticism in the scientific field and shocked the public. ... His wrongdoing is not minor but does not merit the severe punishment of a prison sentence," the Seoul Central District Court said in the verdict.
Hwang's surprising findings in his stem cell research drew him a cult-like following.
Immediately after he disclosed his findings in 2004, many medical experts and patients raised their hopes that the breakthrough might lead to remedies for diseases such as cancer.
The South Korean government touted him as a national hero and announced its plan to set up a committee to promote Hwang for a Nobel Prize. Time magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004.
But a local television report raised ethical questions about the human eggs used for his research, and eventually his two published papers on the research were found to be fabricated. As suddenly as he gained fame, he became embroiled in a national scandal.
Hwang made a public apology and eventually was fired from his professorship at Seoul National University.
"I ask for your forgiveness," he told a nationally televised news conference in his first public appearance after a university investigation confirmed his research data had been manipulated. "I feel so miserable that it's difficult even to say sorry."
In 2006, prosecutors charged him with fraud and embezzlement. They sought a four-year prison term for Hwang, who went through more than 40 court hearings over three years before today's verdict and sentencing.
Despite the revelations of fraud in his research, Hwang's career didn't appear to be shattered.
He founded a research institute and published several papers. His team joined with a provincial government to launch a hog-cloning project.
A few days before the verdict, dozens of lawmakers filed petitions asking the court for leniency in Hwang's case. Hundreds of hard-core fans were waiting outside the court today as they had done during the hearings over the last few years.
"Dr. Hwang has conducted his research tirelessly under terrible conditions," said Hyeon Sang-hwan, a veterinary professor at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, founded by Hwang. "And he will continue to do so, thanks to a great amount of public support."
Ju-min Park is an editorial assistant in The Times' Seoul bureau.
The court also ruled that the 56-year-old Hwang, who became a national hero after he claimed to be the first to successfully clone human stem cells, had partially fabricated the results of his research. He was given a suspended jail sentence.
"He feels deeply sorry that this case elicited so much criticism in the scientific field and shocked the public. ... His wrongdoing is not minor but does not merit the severe punishment of a prison sentence," the Seoul Central District Court said in the verdict.
Hwang's surprising findings in his stem cell research drew him a cult-like following.
Immediately after he disclosed his findings in 2004, many medical experts and patients raised their hopes that the breakthrough might lead to remedies for diseases such as cancer.
The South Korean government touted him as a national hero and announced its plan to set up a committee to promote Hwang for a Nobel Prize. Time magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004.
But a local television report raised ethical questions about the human eggs used for his research, and eventually his two published papers on the research were found to be fabricated. As suddenly as he gained fame, he became embroiled in a national scandal.
Hwang made a public apology and eventually was fired from his professorship at Seoul National University.
"I ask for your forgiveness," he told a nationally televised news conference in his first public appearance after a university investigation confirmed his research data had been manipulated. "I feel so miserable that it's difficult even to say sorry."
In 2006, prosecutors charged him with fraud and embezzlement. They sought a four-year prison term for Hwang, who went through more than 40 court hearings over three years before today's verdict and sentencing.
Despite the revelations of fraud in his research, Hwang's career didn't appear to be shattered.
He founded a research institute and published several papers. His team joined with a provincial government to launch a hog-cloning project.
A few days before the verdict, dozens of lawmakers filed petitions asking the court for leniency in Hwang's case. Hundreds of hard-core fans were waiting outside the court today as they had done during the hearings over the last few years.
"Dr. Hwang has conducted his research tirelessly under terrible conditions," said Hyeon Sang-hwan, a veterinary professor at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, founded by Hwang. "And he will continue to do so, thanks to a great amount of public support."
Ju-min Park is an editorial assistant in The Times' Seoul bureau.
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