A British science journal says cloning scientist Hwang Woo-seok is "a stem cell star" in the West and South Korea.

Nature Medicine in its May edition called the veterinarian one of South Korea's most prominent scientists, and said the West considers him an enigma while his country sees him as a hero.

The monthly detailed his achievements including cloning the nation's first cow in 1999, pigs in 2002 and cattle resistant to mad cow disease in 2003.

Gerald Schatten of the University of Pittsburgh said Hwang proves that a position at a Howard Hughes institute or being in an advanced country are not required to make groundbreaking discoveries.

A Michigan State University professor who has collaborated with Hwang noted his intense lab and dedicated researchers who simply love what they do instead of seeking the spotlight.