Hwang Woo-suk, the infamous and disgraced South Korean stem cell researcher, who had been accused of using unethical means to conduct his research and also gave false results, has been sentenced to two years in prison by The Seoul Central District Court. However, the court showed leniency towards the scientist and has agreed to revoke the punishment, provided Hwang can stay out of trouble for the next three years.

Hwang had known to be the one of the most revered scientists in the entire South Korea for his groundbreaking work in the field of stem cell research. Hwang and his team gained the world’s undivided attention in the year 2004, when they announced the successful cloning of a human embryo.

During his term as one of the leading scientists in the stem cell research, the South Korean government had spared no expense in treating the Hwang as a celebrity. The administration had even labeled him as a “national treasure”. He was provided with all the research funding he required and the Korean national airlines, gave Hwang and his family free 1st class travel arrangements. He was even assigned a personal security detail, along with a full time diplomat liaison, for Hwang’s international dealings.

However, Hwang’s glorious career came to a sudden stop, when the university that he was working for, conducted an investigation and found out that, the research paper released by Hwang and his team on stem cell research had been fabricated and was based entirely on false data conjured by Hwang.

Via Associated Press.