Pioneerin cloning apologizes
Korean used eggs donated by aides
SEOUL: The South Korean pioneer in cloning research resigned his official posts Thursday and apologized for lying about the sources of eggs used in his work, which has caused an ethical controversy that has mounted over the past two weeks.
While there was no immediate indication that Hwang Woo Suk's humiliation would damage the leading role South Korea has in stem cell and cloning research, his nascent plan to attract worldwide expertise to the country may suffer a setback.
Hwang, a veterinarian professor at Seoul National University, said he was resigning as head of the World Stem Cell Hub, which he initiated last month to pool global resources to find cures for spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other diseases.
Experts said they fear the controversy could undermine support from U.S. scientists, which Hwang has called important for his center. But they said that because the hub remained in a conceptual stage, it was too soon to assess whether Hwang's decision to step down, although largely symbolic, would have any significant impact on its development.
At the same time, the experts said the ethical controversy was unlikely to affect South Korea's status as a global leader in the cloning field.
Hwang's
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Hwang said he was giving up all official titles so that he could focus on research and reclaim his reputation. The government stood behind him, reconfirming its generous financial support for Hwang's research.
South Korea treats Hwang as a national hero. He was recognized last year as the first scientist to clone a human embryo and extract stem cells from it. In August, he unveiled Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog.
But his reputation was damaged by his admission Thursday that two junior scientist on his team donated eggs for its research, an act considered problematic because of concern that coercion by seniors might play a role.
"I was blinded by work and a drive for achievement," a grim-faced Hwang told a nationally televised news conference. "I should have slowed down my pace to make sure that everything was up to global standards. I didn't, and now I find myself in shameful misery.
"I offer my heartfelt apology to the people of South Korea and to domestic and international scientific communities," he said.
Another admission by Hwang was that a doctor on his team had paid women to donate eggs for its groundbreaking research on cloning a human embryo.
Hwang's admissions confirmed the key allegations in the ethical controversy over his research. Earlier Thursday, however, an institutional review board of Hwang's school cleared him and his team of any legal or ethical violations.
