South Korean Stem-Cell Expert Promises Archbishop of Seoul to Respect Human Dignity

The world’s leading stem-cell expert from South Korea, Hwang Woo-suk, met the Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Diocese of Seoul, Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk on Wednesday. Despite the difference in their viewpoints on the definition of life, they showed respect to each other and discussed the ethics of therapeutic cloning in a fifty minute closed-door meeting.

In late May, Hwang's team from Seoul National University created a dozen new embryonic stem cell lines from cloned human embryos, which is a breakthrough in medical research.

Therapeutic stem cell research is seen by many as a way to solve presently incurable diseases such as Parkinson's and diabetes, while opponents see it as research that destroys human embryos and lives.

The meeting between the Seoul National University researcher and Seoul Archbishop Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk was arranged after Hwang expressed a willingness to meet with religious groups who object to his research.

"I will take lessons from the great teachings and guidance," Hwang told the Associated Press after a meeting Wednesday. "I will not fail to meet the Archbishop's expectations."

Hwang Woo-suk added he would push forward with his research while maintaining respect for human dignity.

Previously, the Korean Catholic Church had called for the immediate halt of embryonic stem cell research. Archbishop Cheong has likened manipulating cloned embryos to "murder", condemning the research as a "serious violation of human dignity", according to the Associated Press.

Many pro-lifers have argued that adult stem cells could be used instead of embryonic stem cells in research so as to avoid human cloning in the laboratory.

Professor Ahn Kyu-ri, a member of the Seoul National University research team who also attended the talks, stressed that research into embryonic stem cells goes hand-in-hand with that into adult stem cells.

"We can stop, at any time, embryonic stem cell research into areas where adult stem cells have proven to provide cures," she told the Associated Press.

Archbishop Cheong responded that he was somewhat relieved to find out Hwang's research would be "complementary" to research into adult stem cells.

"I will pray for God's blessing for his future research," Cheong said.

The archbishop has also expressed fears Hwang and his researchers may have heightened the possibility of cloning humans. Hwang has repeatedly clarified human cloning is neither the aim of his research nor a possible venture, the Associated Press said.