A Seoul National University panel on verifying the research of cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk could make an announcement in a week or two depending on cooperation from his team.

In a Friday news conference, the school's dean for research affairs Roh Jung-hye said she expects quick progress in the probe on Hwang's thesis and that a written questionnaire will go Monday to his team.

On the order and scope of the probe, the nine-member committee will first examine suspicions over Hwang's paper published in May, and if they are confirmed true, the experiments mentioned in the thesis will also undergo verification.

The panel will seek to confirm the allegations and those responsible even if Hwang admits to wrongdoing, adding cooperation from the University of Pittsburgh and other foreign institutions is necessary.