S. Korea Bans Funds for Cloning Humans, Says It Can’t Stop Research
SEOUL — South Korea on Friday banned funding for research of human cloning but acknowledged that it cannot stop “maverick doctors” from forging ahead with the controversial procedure.
The move came after a medical team at Seoul’s Kyunghee University announced earlier this week that it had cloned a human embryo in its initial stage of development.
The announcement caught the government off guard and sparked protest rallies by South Koreans, whose deep-rooted Confucian beliefs were shaken by the news.
“Our position is firm and clear: There will be no funding for any such research,” said Kim Ho Sung, an official with the Science and Technology Ministry.
But Kim added that the government planned no legal action against the scientists. “We cannot do anything to stop them,” he said.
At the National Assembly, legislators prepared to pass a new law next month banning research on human cloning.
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