Donald Kennedy, the magazine’s editor in chief, said in a statement posted on the journal’s homepage, “Because the final report of the [Seoul National University] investigation indicates that a significant amount of the data presented in both papers was fabricated, the editors of Science feel that an immediate and unconditional retraction of both papers is needed." All of the authors of the papers agreed to retract the papers, the magazine said.

SNU said Friday it decided to refer all seven professors who co-authored the fabricated papers to a disciplinary committee. Besides Hwang they are: Lee Byung-chun, Kang Sung-geun, Lee Chang-gyu, Moon Shin-yong, Ahn Cu-rie and Baek Sun-ha. The disciplinary committee will decide any punishment in mid or late February after a formal request by SNU president Chung Un-chan.

(englishnews@chosun.com )