Stem-cell scientist says quits S.Korea university

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s most prominent scientist tendered his resignation on Friday from his post at Seoul National University after a panel found results in his landmark paper on tailored embryonic stem cells were fabricated.

Hwang Woo-suk has hitherto been regarded as a hero in South Korea for bringing the country to the global forefront of stem-cell and cloning studies.

"I am stepping down as a professor at Seoul National University," Hwang said in a brief televised statement to reporters outside his laboratory at the university.

The university has to accept his resignation.

Earlier, a university panel that investigated the study said Hwang bore a large responsibility even if the scale of his direct involvement was not yet clear.