South Korea will decide this week whether to let disgraced cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk resume human stem cell research, officials said Monday.
Hwang's claims that he created the first human stem cells through cloning were ruled to be bogus and he is banned from research using human eggs.
But the scientist is now engaged in animal cloning at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, which in December asked for the green light to begin a new embryonic stem cell research project using aborted human eggs.
"We will make a decision on the request this week, probably on Saturday, after taking various factors into consideration," a health ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Hwang is on trial for fraud and other charges and was stripped of all government honours and funds, including his title of "Supreme Scientist," after Seoul National University said his claims -- first made public in 2004 -- were fake.
His former university colleagues created the world's first cloned dog, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, on a non-commercial basis in 2005.
Sooam Biotech Research Foundation has teamed up with a California-based firm which offers the world's only licensed commercial dog cloning service.
The US company plans to auction off the right for five dog owners to clone their pets.