From now on, registration of embryonic stem cells with health authorities will require the submission of biological materials that were used to produce the stem cells.

The Health and Welfare Ministry on Friday announced the effectuation of enforcement regulations of the Bioethics and Safety Act, which aims for a more thorough and scientific verification of the research process to prevent any unethical conducts such as manipulation of experiment results and trafficking of eggs.

Under the newly tightened rules, applicants must submit a number of papers and materials in order to register embryonic stem cells with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The mandatory documents include consent forms from donors stating they agree to give their eggs and somatic cells for research purposes, donors' blood samples and a detailed statement of how leftover embryos and eggs will be used.

The current bioethics law limits the number of complimentary egg donations to three times during a lifetime to protect the health of donors.