Disgraced stem cell scientist loses citizenship after acquiring UAE nationality
Quick Look
- Disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk lost his South Korean citizenship after acquiring UAE nationality on April 9, according to an Aug.
- 13 justice ministry gazette.
- Hwang, 73, currently serves as CEO of UAE BIOTECH Research Center and remains controversial following his 2005 stem cell research fraud scandal.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Hwang Woo-suk was a former Seoul National University professor who gained fame for animal cloning and stem cell research before being found in 2005 to have used forged data for a research paper claiming to have created the world's first cloned human embryo. He was dismissed from Seoul National University in 2006, lost a court dispute over the dismissal in 2015, and was stripped of South Korea's highest science and technology award earlier this year, more than two decades after it was presented in 2004.
SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- Disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, known for his involvement in a major stem cell fraud scandal, appears to have lost his South Korean citizenship after acquiring United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationality, officials said Monday.
Hwang's name appeared on a list of individuals who lost their citizenship on an electronic gazette published by the justice ministry's immigration office in Cheongju on Aug. 13.
According to the notice, Hwang, who has recently been working in the UAE, lost his citizenship after obtaining his new nationality on April 9. The listed details match the 73-year-old's birth year and hometown.
Under South Korean law, citizens who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality automatically lose their citizenship.
A justice ministry official declined to offer details other than the information on the gazette.
The former Seoul National University professor remains a controversial figure in South Korea after he was found in 2005 to have used forged data for a research paper to claim that he had created the world's first cloned human embryo.
He was dismissed from Seoul National University in 2006 following the scandal. He disputed the dismissal at court but ultimately lost in 2015.
The government stripped him of the country's highest science and technology award earlier this year, more than two decades after it was presented in 2004.
Prior to the scandal, Hwang had been celebrated as a national hero for his work in animal cloning and stem cell research.
Hwang currently serves as the chief executive officer of UAE BIOTECH Research Center, which focuses on animal cloning, genetic engineering and stem cell research, according to its website.
Open Questions
- What specific details in the gazette match Hwang's birth year and hometown?
- Has Hwang publicly commented on losing his South Korean citizenship?
- What is the current status of UAE BIOTECH Research Center's operations?
