The ruling Uri Party is calling for stepped-up efforts to address the ongoing controversy over Professor Hwang Woo-suk’s stem cell research, citing national interests.

In a meeting of high-ranking party officials Wednesday, Uri acting chairman Chung Se-kyun said the current issue boils down to how to harmonize mankind’s long-held desire to treat incurable diseases with the crises of ethics that inevitably arise in the course of pursuing such a goal.

Chung stressed that the situation requires a calm and wise response.