Disgraced South Korean stem cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk has set up a biotechnology firm in Seoul for cloning animal pets and producing organs for transplant, according to Agence France Presse.

Hwang was banned from research using human eggs following claims that he cloned the first human embryo that were later shown to be faked. He is currently on trial for fraud, embezzlement, ethical breaches and other charges, but is not barred from conducting research on animals. Still, Hwang insists his cloned human stem cells were legit, and he has also asked the government's Health Ministry for permission to resume research into human cloning in order to clear his name, a close associate of Hwang's told the AFP.

In 2005, Hwang's former colleagues at Seoul National University, led by Lee Byeong-chun, a key aide to Hwang, created the world's first dog clone -- an Afghan hound named "Snuppy." Last month, Lee announced that Snuppy had successfully impregnated two female hounds and would become a father later this month, and Korean Customs Service unveiled seven cloned Labrador retrievers being trained as sniffer dogs to detect drugs and explosives.