Embryonic stem cell research is expected to resume after a suspension of about seven years in South Korea.

The National Bioethics Committee said Tuesday that it held its first plenary meeting of the year last Thursday and granted conditional approval to embryonic stem cell research plans submitted by the CHA Medical Group.

The hospital plans to use 600 eggs for the research. The results of which are expected to be used in treating incurable diseases such as stroke or damaged optic nerves.

Giving the green light, the National Bioethics Committee also set conditional terms for the CHA group requiring it to follow the law in obtaining eggs and somatic cells, operate an internal bioethics committee and also come up with a monitoring system against possible misuse in human cloning.

If approved by the Health and Welfare Ministry, embryonic stem cell research will be resumed in South Korea after seven years since the last research plan, also by a CHA research team, received a go-ahead in 2009.