For a start, was the presidential aide, a botanist by training, charged with ethics research because the country is short on specialists in the field? More than 50 are listed as members of the Korean Bioethics Association. To say that her participation in some bioengineering forums as a representative of civic groups qualifies her for the research grants is stretching it.

A botany professor at Sunchon National University, Park joined the camp of President Roh Moo-hyun during the 2002 presidential election. In February 2003, she was a member of Roh’s transition team assigned to an economics subcommittee. In June 2003, Park chaired the Future Strategy Subcommittee under the Policy Planning Committee, a presidential advisory body. In other words, she was already in positions where she was able to exercise considerable influence on science and technology policy when Hwang put her in charge of the two projects. From Hwang's perspective, it would have been only common sense to expect Park's support when he in turn applied for funding from the government.

Park is listed as a co-author of Hwang’s now discredited 2004 article in Science: many suspect she was given a free ride, not least because the Seoul National University panel probing the scandal said that Park alone among the 15 co-authors made "no contribution" to the paper.

Hwang's team was reportedly given over W40 billion in government subsidies. Park is said to have played the role of guardian angel in allotting that funding. It would be no more than proper for her to explain herself to the people. Just offering to resign from the post does not absolve a presidential aide from all responsibilities.