SEOUL, Nov. 9 (Yonhap) -- Disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk, known for his involvement in a major stem cell fraud scandal, appears to have lost his South Korean citizenship after acquiring United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationality, officials said Monday.
Hwang's name appeared on a list of individuals who lost their citizenship on an electronic gazette published by the justice ministry's immigration office in Cheongju on Aug. 13.
According to the notice, Hwang, who has recently been working in the UAE, lost his citizenship after obtaining his new nationality on April 9. The listed details match the 73-year-old's birth year and hometown.
Under South Korean law, citizens who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality automatically lose their citizenship.
Disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk (L) is seen in this photo captured from the UAE BIOTECH Research Center's Facebook page on Nov. 9, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Disgraced stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk (L) is seen in this photo captured from the UAE BIOTECH Research Center's Facebook page on Nov. 9, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
A justice ministry official declined to offer details other than the information on the gazette.
The former Seoul National University professor remains a controversial figure in South Korea after he was found in 2005 to have used forged data for a research paper to claim that he had created the world's first cloned human embryo.
He was dismissed from Seoul National University in 2006 following the scandal. He disputed the dismissal at court but ultimately lost in 2015.
The government stripped him of the country's highest science and technology award earlier this year, more than two decades after it was presented in 2004.
Prior to the scandal, Hwang had been celebrated as a national hero for his work in animal cloning and stem cell research.
Hwang currently serves as the chief executive officer of UAE BIOTECH Research Center, which focuses on animal cloning, genetic engineering and stem cell research, according to its website.