Study: Korean, Japanese DNA similar

The Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that Korean people are genetically closer to Japanese people than to Chinese people.
The study found that Koreans’ DNA is closer to that of Japanese people than that of Chinese. Koreans are genetically closer to Chinese than to Caucasians, and to Caucasians than to Africans, according to the center.
The DNA study, which was led by Jo In-ho, a senior researcher at the center, was based on the gene sequences of 43 South Korean women whose families have lived on the Korean peninsula for over three generations.
Their gene sequences were averaged and compared to those of other nationalities. The comparison data was provided by TSC, an American research team that collects genetic information and carries out large-scale DNA analyses.
Mr. Jo said such DNA research would define the future direction of medical research on Korean genetic disorders. “These findings will lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of genetic disorders, and point us in the right direction for potential cures,” he said.
Mr. Jo also said that due to genetic differences with its Northeast Asian neighbors, future research on Korean genetic disorders should focus on “the unique aspects of Korean DNA.”
However, should joint genetic research be carried out with foreign research teams, Mr. Jo said Korean researchers should work more closely with Japanese researchers than with those from China.
The results of the study will be published on the August edition of Genomics, an international journal on genetics.

by Kim Jung-soo