The disgraced South Korean scientist who falsely claimed breakthroughs in creating stem cells from cloned human embryos plans to open a new lab and resume research next month, his lawyer said yesterday.
However, the move by Hwang to resume work on embryonic stem cells faces legal hurdles because he is no longer authorized to conduct such research in South Korea.
Hwang Woo-suk has secured enough private funding to open a laboratory in Seoul early next month, said his lawyer Lee Geon-haeng.
"Dr Hwang feels that the only way to win people's forgiveness and reclaim his honor is to resume research and show accomplishments," Lee said. "He's executing his plans very carefully in an effort not to stir up any misunderstanding."
The prestigious Seoul National University, where Hwang used to work, fired him earlier this year after concluding that his claims to have created the world's first stem cells from cloned human embryos were fabricated.
Hwang has admitted inflating some data for his research claims, published by prestigious international journals in 2004 and 2005. However, he has maintained that he has the technology to clone embryonic stem cells and was deceived by underlings.
Hwang will try to do his research "as long as it is permitted legally," Lee said.
South Korea's Health Ministry has withdrawn Hwang's research license, preventing him from cloning human embryos or receiving eggs for such work.
"By law, Hwang won't be able to start such research again," said Kim Young-ho, a ministry official.
Hwang and other researchers on his former SNU team will try to replicate the cloning of embryonic stem cells at their new lab, but are concerned whether they will be able to get human eggs for research, Lee said.
A trained veterinarian, Hwang had been treated as a national hero in South Korea, and still draws a group of dedicated supporters who stage occasional demonstrations in his honour.
He went on trial this month for allegedly accepting 2 billion won (US$2.1 million) in private donations based on the outcome of the falsified research and embezzling about 800 million won in private and government research funds.
Hwang also is accused of buying human eggs, a violation of the country's bioethics law.
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