Uncovering the Scientific Fraud of the Century

This program was the stone that sent waves of tremors across the calm waters of Korea in mid-December of 2005. Through in-depth reports and scientific analyses, for six months, the program, 'Producer's Note: Uncovering the Scientific Fraud of the Century' attempted to uncover academic errors and possibilities of falsification of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the century: Advancement in Human Stem Cell research. The ripple effects of the investigation rocked the foundation of not only Koreans but throughout the global science communities. The 2005 paper published in the Science Journal by professor Woo-suk Hwang had made him a national hero. He was heralded by the global media and the science community to have advanced science to another forefront. He was the savior of patients suffering from chronically incurable diseases and conditions. The Korean Government made plans to build a multi-million-research facility in his name to further his area of study. Time Magazine named one of his research products as 'The Best Innovation of the Year' Korean Air offered to fly him and his wife first class to anywhere, anytime, for a lifetime. Life for Prof. Hwang couldn't get better. Everyone was happy, hopeful, and unfailingly on the bandwagon of revering Prof. Hwang as something better than sliced bread. Until one journalist from one television station began his investigation on a tip that Prof. Hwang had falsified some data findings in his infamous paper and soon broadcasted his findings. That was the beginning of the unraveling the threads of deceit. In the end, one fact after another, various findings by Prof. Hwang seemed to be based on facts that couldn't be verified. But in the process of the initial broadcasting of this program on December 15th 2005 to the follow up program in early January 2006. The program series and the journalist were in the wrong in the public's eye. Producer's Note, the first of its kind of investigative reporting program series in Korea, had to stop airing from external pressures. The journalist and his family had to live in hiding. The country and its people were unreceptive to any hint of alleged slander against the new national hero. The journalist, the program series, and the TV station were on the chopping block.