Cloning expert hospitalised

2005-12-07 14:34

South Korean stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk lies in a bed at Seoul National University hospital in Seoul. (Hwang Kwang-mo, AP)

Seoul - Prominent South Korean stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk, recently embroiled in a scandal over ethics lapses in his research, was hospitalised on Wednesday, a hospital spokesperson said.

Hwang was admitted to Seoul National University Hospital in the morning, spokesperson Pi Ji-young said. Hwang's doctor said on Tuesday that poor health would prevent him from working anytime soon.

It will take about a week of treatment for Hwang to recover from extreme stress and fatigue, said Sung Myung-hoon, another hospital employee.

YTN television briefly broadcast video of an unshaven Hwang lying on a bed at the hospital.

Last month, Hwang, who gained international renown for creating the world's first cloned human embryos and extracting stem cells from them, publicly apologised for ethical lapses in his research.

After more than a year of denial, Hwang admitted his team at Seoul National University used eggs donated from two junior scientists in his lab. He also acknowledged recently discovering that a hospital doctor paid some women for their eggs used in his research.

- AP