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Reports: S. Korean scientist fired

University reportedly lets go of disgraced stem-cell researcher

Monday, March 20, 2006

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Disgraced cloning scientist Hwang Woo-suk was fired
Monday as professor of Seoul National University over his stem cell fraud,
news reports said.

The university made the decision at a meeting of its disciplinary committee,
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency and cable channel YTN said.

Last month, the school suspended Hwang from teaching and conducting research
as an interim disciplinary measure, but he had remained a professor.

School officials refused to confirm the reports, but said they would release the outcome of the disciplinary meeting soon.

Last week, South Korea’s government revoked Hwang’s license to conduct embryonic
stem cell research.

Hwang’s reputation as a pioneer in stem cell research was shattered when his
university concluded in January that his claims of research breakthroughs were fake.

Hwang’s purported breakthroughs in the field had raised hopes worldwide of new cures for hard-to-treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Hwang publicly apologized for claiming to have created more stem cell lines that
his team actually had, but accused other researchers of deceiving him with falsified
research results.

Hwang has also been questioned by prosecutors, who are expected to soon wrap up
their investigation into the research fraud.