Embattled Stem Cell Research Scientist Returns to South Korea Lab

Bioethics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 12, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Embattled Stem Cell Research Scientist Returns to South Korea Lab Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 12, 2005

Seoul, South Korea (LifeNews.com) — Hwang Woo-suk, the South Korean human cloning scientist who caused an international furor admitting he lied about human egg donations made by two junior researchers and used in his experiments, visited his lab on Monday. His visit comes after a five days of hospitalization for stress.

The stress came after two ethics scandals, including the donation cover-up and questions about whether his research team fabricated results of embryonic stem cell research studies because of duplicated photos that accompanied a medical journal article.

Hwang cried and hugged some of the 50 students and researchers who gathered to welcome him to his office at Seoul National University, where his a veterinary professor.

"I am sorry for causing anxiety to the public," Hwang said, according to a Yonhap news agency report.

The scientist eventually returned to the hospital at the urging of his doctor, who is also a research colleague.

Hwang said he would return to work on his cloning and embryonic stem cell experiments but would cooperate with a SNU investigation into the problem with the photos.

In an interview with TV network KBS Hwang said he still wanted to make South Korea an international leader in stem cell research, despite the problems. Hwang also stepped down as the head of the World Stem Cell Hub he founded in October as did his key American partner and numerous U.S. research firms have backed out of participating.