Korea's disgraced cloning expert Hwang Woo-suk will likely be back in the lab next month to resume research on animal cloning. Hwang was fired by Seoul National University last December due to his fabrication of research data.

With about 30 researchers, mostly Hwang's former associates, the cloning expert will continue his research at a new lab in Seoul, set to open sometime in the first week of July.

Hwang's lawyer Lee Geon-haeng said Tuesday private contributors provided the funds to get Hwang back into research. Lee pointed out that Hwang and his team will only get private money since Hwang is ineligible for public funding due to the scandal.

Hwang was indicted last month for embezzling millions of dollars in public and private research funds, based on fraudulent research. If convicted, Hwang could face years in jail. But despite that, Hwang's lawyer Lee says the cloning scientist should not be banned completely from conducting stem cell research since he claims to hold cutting-edge technologies in that area.

Before the scandal, Hwang's former research team was highly acclaimed by the world for what appeared to be landmark achievements, of which only the creation of the world's first cloned dog Snuppy remains.

Arirang News