By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
Seoul National University professor Hwang Woo-suk would get morale-boosting financial support next year from the government in recognition of his medical breakthroughs.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said Thursday it finalized its 2.3 trillion won budget for 2005. Among them, the ministry earmarked 26.5 billion won to help Hwang’s research, up from a mere 6.5 billion won for this year.

Hwang caught the world by storm twice over the past year as he created mad cow disease-resistant calves last December and cloned a human embryo earlier this year.

Up to 10 billion won will be channeled into building Hwang’s research facility inside Seoul National University and 8.5 billion won will be spent to build other facilities and help the 51-year-old’s research.

The remaining 8 billion won will be provided for the gnotobiotic (sterilized) pigs project.

Together with the mad cow disease-resistant calves last December, Hwang developed six gnotobiotic miniature pigs, whose organs can be transplanted into humans.

The pigs all failed to survive more than two days at that time but with the development of technology, some pigs are currently older than six months according to an inside researcher.

He added Hwang’s team gained about five gnotobiotic pigs for this month alone and now hold ``double-digit’’ pigs.

The budget is subject to the approval of the National Assembly but the MOST predicted lawmakers would not reduce Hwang-related funds in consideration of the significance of his research.

``Because Hwang is a symbolic scientist in Korea and his studies attract international attention, the parliament is not likely to slash the funds. Actually we expect lawmakers to increase the budget,’’ a MOST official said.

Together with the budget tailored to underpin Hwang’s study, the ministry has set aside 10 billion won to nurture a research and development center in Taedok, Taejon.

The ministry also plans to spend 1.5 billion won for the scheme of fostering the nation’s first astronaut and another 3 billion won to begin a science TV channel.

The total 2.3 trillion won budget marks around 30 percent hike compared to last year’s 1.8 trillion won, in time with the science minister’s promotion to the nation’s third deputy prime minister.

voc200@koreatimes.co.kr