Article ID: CBB001451284

The Politics of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in South Korea: Contesting National Sociotechnical Imaginaries (2014)

unapi

To many commentators outside South Korea, the Hwang Woo Suk scandal involving human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research was just another spectacular case of misconduct in the life sciences. As such, it is generally assumed to have revealed the drawbacks of research in scientifically and ethically less-developed societies. Such thinking ignores the history, sophistication, and distinctive features of the public debate over hESC research in South Korea. Disputes over the social and ethical implications of hESC research had taken place for some time before the scandal erupted. Moreover, unlike in some other countries, where resistance to hESC research was prompted by religious conservatives, the most serious critique of the country's rapid move into the field came from progressive social movement activists---including feminists and environmentalists. These activists were, in fact, part of the non-governmental organization coalition to impose stricter social controls on biotechnology. This campaign was motivated by broader political and social concerns beyond specific biosafety or bioethical issues. The activists involved in the coalition feared that the capitalist--developmentalist drive toward biotechnology would threaten the public interest and democracy, and ultimately block South Korea's road to becoming a democratic nation founded on the values of social justice, equality, participation, and sustainability. In contesting South Korea's prevailing approaches to hESC research, they challenged, albeit unsuccessfully, the dominant `national sociotechnical imaginary' that articulates the role of science and technology in relation to the future survival and well-being of the nation primarily in terms of its industrial competitiveness.

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Authors & Contributors
Mikami, Koichi
Cho, Kyuhoon
Kang, Yeonsil
Chan-Yuan Wong
Keck, Frédéric
Sangook Park
Concepts
Stem cells
Biology and ethics; bioethics
Controversies and disputes
Science and politics
Human embryology
Ethics
Time Periods
21st century
20th century, late
20th century
Places
South Korea
Taiwan
Singapore
Japan
Asia
China
Institutions
International Bioethics Committee (UNESCO)
Industrial Technology Research Institute- ITRI
Korea Institute of Science and Technology - KIST
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