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| Book Reveals More to Hwang Scandal |
| Author believes reporters deserve punishment for accepting favors (Part 2) |
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Son Byung-kwan (internews)  |
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Published 2006-03-27 16:43 (KST) |
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The scientific fabrication associated with research papers by Dr. Hwang Woo-seok's research team shocked Korean society. Feeling ecstatic about the so-called "Hwang Woo-soek myth," the media (newspapers, TV networks and news agencies) have significantly contributed to making Hwang's case a tremendous scandal by neglecting their duty of reporting facts and misleading the public.
In the midst of the confusion, one book, written by a former reporter of Donga Ilbo is worth noting: The Country of Hwang Woo-seok (published by Bada). Mr. Lee Sung-joo, who worked at Donga Ilbo for 13 years, was in charge of medical news from 1997 to 2004. His book describes in a lively manner the behind-the-scenes story of Donga's reporting. Lee left his job at the newspaper last January in order to write this book.
Lee explained his struggles over the past months. According to him, it was tortuous for a reporter not to be allowed to report the truth. OhmyNews introduces his insider's view into the confusion of Donga Ilbo and its reporting practices during the "Hwang Shock." Several new details that were not included in his book are added here through an interview with the author on March 24. One day after the interview with Lee, OhmyNews tried to contact Mr. Kim Hak-joon -- CEO of Donga Ilbo -- and Mr. Im Chae-chung -- Chief Editor - for comment. However, they were not available because of "a business trip" or were "attending a meeting." <Editor's Note> |
 | |  Lee Sung-joo, the author of 'The Country of Hwang Woo-suk'. | | | ©2006 Nam S.Y. | |
Last January, Lee heard from a manager in Donga Ilbo about Hwang after the accusations of his scientific fabrication were confirmed by the Investigation Committee at Seoul National University.
"Oh my god. I was about to be caught in a trap. One day, my colleagues and I had dinner with Dr. Hwang after he was awarded 'the figure of 2004' by Donga Ilbo. But Dr. Hwang told us that he had to leave because of an urgent appointment and gave us his credit card to pay the bill. Fortunately, we declined his offer, but you know if we had received it...what would happen to us now?"
Why did Hwang want to give his credit card to the reporters? We may guess his intention from the following episode.
"In April 2004, Dr. Hwang made a phone call while having dinner with the producers of a broadcasting company's documentary team in Dongwon Restaurant at Seoul National University. He told the producers that he called the chief editor of 'A' newspaper and an executive of 'B' newspaper to request a favor in their reporting the scandal of Mr. Lee Ki-jun -- then-President of Seoul National University. Dr. Hwang added that the managers of the newspaper companies promised to positively consider his request.
"According to a producer who attended the dinner, Dr. Hwang was quite pretentious about his privileges. He said that only the president of the university and he could use the VIP room in Dongwon Restaurant, and showed the producers a bundle of letters, including ones for civil petitions."
Lee Ki-joon was under pressure to resign his presidency at the university because of scandals involving his holding of a position in an external trustee committee of a conglomerate and his son's attempt at draft-dodging. Indeed, Dr. Hwang was working on "rescue activities" for Mr. Lee Ki-joon while neglecting his research job
Before Lee Sung-joo went to the U.S. for his studies at Johns Hopkins University, his positive impression of Hwang was challenged by an incident. Lee found that one reporter was freely using Hwang's credit card to pay his bills in fancy bars. It was a startling surprise for Lee, because he knew that Hwang very much emphasized his Spartan lifestyle.
Lee Sung-joo understands some reporters' misconduct in relation to Hwang's intention to pay reporters "scholarships" for their loyalty to him. According to Lee, there were several reporters who were awarded the "Hwang Woo-seok Scholarship" at Yonhap News Agency, Kyunghyang Newspaper, Chosun Ilbo and KBS broadcasting company. Lee said that while some reporters tried to be neutral in their reporting, some others worked like staff members of PR agencies for Hwang.
Although the public prosecutors are investigating Hwang's misuse of his research funds, as well as the scientific fabrication, they do not seem to be planning an investigation against reporters.
In his book, Lee is critical of Dr. Gerald Schatten, a professor at Pittsburgh University and a collaborative author of Hwang' research paper. Lee says that Schatten was not a great scholar in the stem cell research field and was just a reproductive specialist like Hwang.
Lee tells a behind-the-scenes story that the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea decided not to invite Schatten to the First Symposium on Stem Cell Research in Seoul in 2004 after reviewing his academic records and finding he lacked research experience in the field. But Schatten was finally invited through Hwang's political influence.
Lee anticipates that Schatten's misconduct will be eventually punished in the U.S.
Lee expresses his hope that Korean society will become more mature through dealing with this incident, as France became a more rational and reasonable society after self-examination about the "Dreyfus Affair."
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©2006 OhmyNews
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