Disgraced stem cell researcher's presidential award revoked over fabricated work
President Lee Jae Myung approved the move to strip Hwang Woo-suk of his Top Scientist and Technologist Award, after the courts struck down an attempt in 2020.
Hwang Woo-suk, a former Seoul National University professor
YONHAP
A presidential science award granted to a former professor for his work in stem cell research has been revoked 22 years later, after it was found that his work had been fabricated.
President Lee Jae Myung approved the revocation of the Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea, granted to former Seoul National University Prof. Hwang Woo-suk, on Tuesday, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said Wednesday.
The presidential award is given to scientists and engineers who have made significant contributions to the country’s scientific and technological development. Hwang received the award, along with 300 million won ($201,000) in prize money, in 2004 in recognition of his reported achievements in human embryonic stem cell research. But his research was found to be fabricated, and Hwang was dismissed from his position at Seoul National University in 2006.
The Ministry of Science and ICT asked the Interior Ministry in March to revoke Hwang’s award. After reviewing the request, the Interior Ministry sought presidential approval on Tuesday through the government’s state affairs management system, and Lee granted it the same day.
The ministry plans to publish notice of the revocation within 60 days.
The government first revoked the award in 2020, but a court overturned the decision due to procedural flaws, requiring the government to restart the process.
“To correct the procedural defects in the earlier revocation, we held a hearing to gather Hwang’s views before asking the Interior Ministry to take renewed administrative action,” the Science Ministry said.
The Science Ministry also revoked Hwang's designation as Korea’s first Top Scientist in 2006, and his Order of Science and Technology Merit medal was revoked as well. The Top Scientist and Technologist Award, however, remained in place, as existing regulations did not offer a sufficient basis for revocation, forcing a delay until 2020.
Hwang subsequently filed a lawsuit, arguing that the revocation of the award was unlawful.
Both the trial and appellate courts agreed, ruling that the government had acted unlawfully by failing to provide Hwang advance notice and a chance to submit his views. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling in April 2023.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
