Park Yong-jin: "'Gene Scissors Incident' Is Not an Individual Deviation... Research Management System Must Be Established"

Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 23rd regarding the submission of the "Kindergarten Three Acts" to the plenary session. The "Kindergarten Three Acts" (amendments to the Early Childhood Education Act, Private School Act, and School Meals Act), which include comprehensive measures to eradicate corruption in private kindergartens, are scheduled to be submitted to the plenary session on the 24th. It has been 11 months since the bill was proposed. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the indictment of former Seoul National University professor Kim Jin-su on charges of fraud and breach of duty, saying, "Although late, it is fortunate," and emphasized that "the Ministry of Education must come up with fundamental solutions." Park urged the Ministry of Education to directly investigate this case and establish a system to ensure that the research management, which has been loosely operated, is managed more meticulously.

On the 8th, Park issued a press release stating, "This case was an issue pointed out back in 2018," and added, "It is truly regrettable that the indictment was delayed by about a year and five months, but it is a just outcome that the indictment has finally been made. I consider it fortunate."

Park stressed the need for fundamental measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents. He said, "I am concerned that this case is being dismissed as merely an individual's deviation," and pointed out, "The Ministry of Education, Seoul National University, and the National Research Foundation of Korea either did not know about this case or effectively condoned it."

He continued, "If this continues, even if judicial action is taken against former Professor Kim later, the fundamental problem is unlikely to be resolved," and emphasized, "The Ministry of Education, Seoul National University, and the National Research Foundation of Korea must thoroughly investigate whether there was any negligence of duty by those responsible during the processes of research outcomes and patent registration."

He also noted, "Seoul National University concluded in its internal audit that 'there are problems but no one is at fault' or that 'the person has resigned,' which is an attempt to evade responsibility," and urged, "The Ministry of Education should take direct charge of the investigation instead of entrusting it to Seoul National University, which is the party involved in the case."

Additionally, he added, "The system must be improved so that research management, which has been loosely managed and operated until now, can be managed more thoroughly."

Meanwhile, the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Patent Crime Investigation Division announced on the 7th that former Professor Kim (Director of the Genome Editing Research Group at the Institute for Basic Science) was indicted without detention on charges of fraudulently appropriating research outcomes invented with national support by falsely presenting them as achievements of ToolGen, a company in which he is the major shareholder.

Kim is accused of fraud and breach of duty for deceiving Seoul National University's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation into transferring technology related to three gene-editing patent technologies, invented with 2.9 billion KRW in research funds from the National Research Foundation of Korea between 2010 and 2014, as if they were research achievements of ToolGen.

ToolGen was founded by Professor Kim in 1999 and was listed on KONEX in 2014. Gene editing is a technology that corrects genetic information within cells and is globally recognized for its potential use in treating intractable diseases.