A research partner of cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-suk says Hwang is trying to save his own hide by passing the blame for the stem cell scandal onto his colleagues.

In a news conference Friday, Roh Sung-il said Hwang asked his assistant Kim Sun-jong and another researcher at the University of Pittsburgh to return to Seoul by December 27th to help him produce stem cells.

Roh said Hwang offered them professor and director positions at the World Stem Cell Hub.

In an earlier news conference, Hwang said he believes Kim switched stem cells he created with those at MizMedi Hospital, where Roh is a board director, and urged a probe on the matter.