The government will provide massive financial support to stem cell pioneer Hwang Woo-suk’s research team.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the government will offer 15 billion won to the team early next year by granting special corporate status to the World Stem Cell Hub, where Hwang serves as director.

To that end, the ministry is expected to draw up related legislatioin on the World Stem Cell Hub within this year in order to forward it to the National Assembly for its attention early next year.

Government and ministry officials will also cooperate on state assistance measures on developing and utilizing embryonic stem cell research and will review the possibility of supporting adult stem cell research as well.

The health ministry also announced that, regardless of the sudden departure of U.S. scientist Gerald Schatten from Hwang's research team, the government will continue to exert utmost efforts in promoting research of the stem cell source technology held by the nation.

Schatten abruptly left the team earlier this week after raising ethical questions over how Hwang had collected human eggs for research.

The ministry added that the question of ethics should be addressed within the framework of a 'life ethics' law.