Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research in South Korea

Ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) research was introduced in the 1990s as part of an effort to carry out responsible research in human genetics and genomics. Since then it has become a common practice associated with large-scale research in the life sciences. This article argues that ELSI research that is suitable for Korea society should (a) focus on high-priority and specific issues, (b) relate directly to ongoing scientific research, and (c) be informed by a broad range of academic disciplines, including not only law and ethics, but also economics, anthropology and other areas of the humanities and social sciences. It is an essential task of ELSI researchers in Korea to create an environment in which top-down and bottom-up research can be combined to reflect the perspectives of variety of groups and perspectives. A further objective of ELSI research is to establish a research infrastructure to facilitate communication between researchers, the public, the government, and other stakeholders.