Wearing colourful tunics emblazoned with ?Pride of Korea? and Hwang Woo-suk?s smiling face, about 1,000 Koreans gathered in central Seoul on an icy night to chant specially written songs and wave banners in support of the disgraced scientist.

?Our jewel given by the sky, Having a tough time between national profit and ethics, Cheer up, Prof Hwang,? they sang. ?The embryo stem-cell scandal is drawing the world?s attention. But he must not stop researching biotechnology. Cheer up, Prof Hwang.?