An internal ethics committee of Seoul National University has confirmed that female staff on Hwang Woo-suk's stem cell research team donated their ova for his experiments.

A committee member on Wednesday said its probe on Hwang and his team confirmed that the two staff did donate eggs for his research.

The member said he presumes Hwang had no choice but to deny the allegation to protect their privacy and since the practice violates international ethics banning egg donations by researchers.

The committee also secured written testimony from female researchers who worked for Hwang's team between 2002 and the present, and grilled Hwang on how the team obtained the eggs.

The probe results will be reported to the Health and Welfare Ministry.

Hwang on Wednesday afternoon will hold his first news conference since the controversy broke out.