Netflix UK is officially set to release its new documentary King Of Clones which will chronicle an unbiased perspective on the controversial Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk who claimed to possess immense knowledge of cloning in his journal Science in 2004 and 2005. The documentary will aim at giving an unbiased view of the scientist's perspective. Hwang Woo Suk was born on 29th January 1953 in Buyeo, South Korea. He worked as a professor of theriogenology and biotechnology at the Seoul National University until he was dismissed on March 20, 2006, which is his alma mater as well.
Who is Korean scientist Hwang woo suk?
Hwang had already established himself as an expert in animal cloning and secured celebrity status in South Korea in late 1990 after successfully creating a cloned dairy cow, Yeongrong-i in February 1999. However, his alleged sudden success came as a surprise because this was the first reported success in human somatic cell cloning. Until Hwang's claim, it was generally agreed that creating a human stem cell by cloning was next to impossible due to the complexity of primates. Hwang explained that his team used 242 eggs to create a single cell line.
What Hwang woo suk did?
In May, Nature Journal published an article stating that Hwang had used eggs taken from two of his graduate students, based on an interview with one of the students. The article raised the question of whether the students might have been pressured to give eggs and thus whether such a donation would have been "voluntary" as Hwang claimed in his scientific paper. At that time, Hwang denied that he had used his students' eggs in which he later accepted his fault in 2005 after which he resigned from most of his official posts on 24 November. He also stated that he had to fabricate the sources to protect the privacy of his female researchers. Post the conference, Hwang gained supporters and people who sympathised with him
On December 29, 2005, University of Seoul determined that all 11 of Hwang's stem cell lines were made up. The university announced on January 10, 2006, that Hwang's 2004 and 2005 papers on Science were also fabricated. Following the confirmation, both the papers were withdrawn unquestionably. This was followed by thorough trials and investigations where Hwang was found guilty for all these charges.
Despite all the illegal activities he was charged for, Hwang is celebrated by many for his scientific achievements which is why he is well-renowned all over the country. Many females in the country are of the belief that Hwang's research would cure diseases and lead to healthy young women. The documentary will give a platform to the scientist to convey his views on the scandal in retrospect and also take responsibility for it.