A University of Pittsburgh professor says the scandal surrounding cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk has confirmed the soundness of South Korean society and promotes healthy scientific research.

Seol Dae-woo on Thursday said the scandal has shown the self-cleansing ability of the domestic science community, adding the country has learned a lesson and taken a step forward.

Citing many research irregularities eventually led to strict standards in the United States, he said South Korea has big potential and neet not be disappointed as stem cell research can now begin properly.