It said Hwang's request was turned down by the country's national committee on bioethics. The health ministry declined to comment on the report but said it would brief the media on Friday.

'He engaged in unethical and wrongful acts in the past and the committee decided to reject it,' a source who took part in the committee meeting was quoted by Yonhap as saying.

'One committee member strongly argued that it would bring shame on the whole country,' the source said.

Hwang's claims that he created the first human stem cells through cloning were ruled to be bogus, and he is banned from research using human eggs.

But the scientist is now engaged in animal cloning at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, which in December asked for the green light to begin a new embryonic stem cell research project using aborted human eggs.

Still on trial for fraud, embezzlement, ethical breaches and other charges, Hwang has insisted in court that he could prove he created the first cloned human stem cells.

Such cells could potentially be used to treat difficult or incurable diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's.

The Yonhap report sent bio-tech stocks tumbling on the South Korean stock market. -- AFP