The National Bioethics Committee will convene a meeting next week to deliberate on whether or not to allow embryonic stem cell research.

The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Tuesday that the committee will hold a meeting on April 29th to discuss a research plan submitted by Professor Jung Hyung-min’s team at Cha Hospital on the development of cell treatment using human embryonic stem cells.

In its February meeting, the bioethics committee decided to maintain its ban on such research. The committee then planned to hold a meeting on April tenth to discuss the matter further but it was postponed.

The government has maintained its ban on the research since 2006 after cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk was found to have fabricated data in his controversial stem cell studies. But lately there has been an increase in the number of calls for the use of stem cell research to find treatments for incurable diseases and to help develop biotechnology.