Disgraced Cloning Expert Convicted in South Korea

A South Korean stem cell scientist once hailed as a hero for bringing hope to people with incurable diseases and creating the world's first cloned dog was convicted Monday on criminal charges related to faked research, but avoided jail.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Hwang Woo-suk to two years in prison for embezzling research funds and illegally buying human eggs. However, it suspended the penalty, allowing him to stay free if he breaks no laws for three years.

Prosecutors had asked for four years in prison, but Judge Bae Ki-yeol said the 56-year-old scientist had shown remorse and had notable achievements in dog cloning.

Hwang, who appeared confident as he walked into the courthouse, made no comment as he left. His lawyer, Yoo Chul-min, suggested in an interview with the YTN television network that he would not appeal, saying Hwang had been unable to concentrate on his research because of the "time-consuming" trial.

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Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment late Monday.

The verdict was the culmination of a long fall from grace for a man once hailed as a pioneer in stem cell research.

Hwang gained worldwide fame in 2004 when he and his former colleagues at Seoul National University claimed in a paper published in the journal Science that they had created the world's first cloned human embryos — and had extracted stem cells from them.

A year later, Hwang's team also claimed in the journal that they had created human embryonic stem cells genetically matched to specific patients, a purported breakthrough that promised a way to withstand rejection by a patient's immune system.

Stem cell research is highly controversial, and Hwang had been the only South Korean scientist allowed to carry out studies on the master cells that scientists say could lead to revolutionary cures for hard-to-treat diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.