The Ministry of Health and Welfare says it has decided to allow local scientists to conduct research on stem cells extracted from cloned human embryos for the purpose of treating rare and incurable diseases.

The ministry said Wednesday that under the new bioethics safety law to be enacted on January 1, scientists will be permitted to conduct research on stem cells of cloned human embryos to find possible treatments for some 18 rare and incurable diseases, including strokes, AIDS, spinal paralysis, glaucoma and diabetes.

The ministry said it will allow research activities on leftover fertilized ova originally intended for artificial insemination and the use of embryos made by injecting the nucleus of a human somatic cell into the ova of a human or other animal species.

The ministry said President Roh Moo-hyun will ultimately decide on the nature, object and range of the research after committee deliberation.

However, if a scientist has over three years of research experience on the study of stem cells from cloned human embryos, as does Seoul National University Professor Hwang Woo-suk, he or she would be authorized to conduct research with the approval of the Health and Welfare minister.

The Health ministry has said it plans to set up a bioethics policy department within the ministry as well as a bioscience research management department at the National Welfare Research Institute that will be in charge of deliberating and approving bioscience studies.