Hundreds of South Korean women are volunteering to donate eggs for research by cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk, a foundation supporting the scientist said yesterday, in the wake of his apology for covering up ethics lapses over using eggs from female workers at his own lab.
Meanwhile, the university where Hwang works said yesterday that he hasn't yet officially tendered his resignation as head of a worldwide stem cell research center. Hwang had said in his public apology on Thursday that he would resign as head of the World Stem Cell Hub, which was launched last month in Seoul to seek treatments for incurable diseases.
"He did not tender his resignation paper and we hope he would not do so," said Pi Ji-young, a public relations official at Seoul National University.
Hwang, who has earned international renown for his breakthroughs in stem cell research and cloning, hasn't reported to his office since he apologized for accepting egg donations from two junior scientists in his lab after previously denying it for more than a year.
Under commonly accepted international guidelines, scientists are warned to be cautious in allowing subordinates to be subjects for research due to concerns about possible coercion.
The ethics controversy has generated huge public support for Hwang in South Korea, where he's viewed as a national hero, with a growing number of volunteers offering eggs.
"So far more than 700 South Korean women have pledged to donate their eggs and the number is steadily rising," said Lee Sun-min, an official at a private foundation launched last week to promote egg donations.
A TV station that reported on the controversy has also drawn some public anger, causing South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to express concern about a climate of intolerance.
In a report last week, MBC television said it obtained documents from Hwang's lab showing possibly hundreds of human eggs had been bought for the research. The egg buying wasn't illegal at the time, but Hwang has previously insisted all eggs for his work were given by donors enthusiastic to see his work proceed.
Some extreme supporters have gone as far as threatening to kill family members of producers of the MBC program in online message boards. Eleven firms have pulled advertising from the news-magazine show.
"I am concerned about our society, which doesn't know tolerance. Protest messages and phone calls can be made ... but cancelation of advertisements showed things went too far and a social fear that does not tolerate resistance has been created," Roh wrote on Sunday in a message posted on his office's Web site.
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