Amid the uproar surrounding the authenticity of cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk’s stem cell research, the government has pledged its continuous support to the biotech sector regardless of the outcome of Seoul National University (SNU)’s ongoing investigation.

The government announced its official stance on the issue Friday in an emergency meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and attended by related ministers including Science and Technology Minister Oh Myung and Health Minister Kim Geun-tae.

It said the authenticity of Hwang’s research paper should be determined through scientific methods, calling for a speedy yet cautious probe by the SNU investigative panel.

While stressing that it was not desirable to jump to conclusions in the case, the government added that it would decide whether to continue its support to Hwang’s research team based on the university's probe results.

However, the government made clear it would continue supporting the nation’s bio-technology industries in order to avoid any potential harm to the sector.