He's a liar and a fraud. So why do Koreans still love Hwang Woo-suk?

To the scientific world at large, he is a disgrace and a fraud.

But to thousands of diehard South Korean supporters, cloning researcher Hwang Woo-suk remains a source of pride - and a rallying point for nationalist fervour.

The latter point explains why, five months after his scientific 'breakthroughs' were first exposed as bogus, Dr Hwang retains immense popularity in his homeland, according to psychology experts.

'Those supporters just can't let their hopes slip away,' said Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University. 'They are like the people who predict wrongly that the end of the world is coming - and are still hoping it will occur 10 years later.'

The 56-year old stem-cell researcher is currently the subject of a criminal investigation but he has already been found guilty by Seoul National University, where he formerly worked as a veterinarian scientist, of falsely claiming to have cloned a human embryo.

Critics have condemned what they see as the irrational fanaticism of many of Dr Hwang's diehard backers. Nevertheless, thousands of Koreans have attended mass rallies calling for him to be given a chance to prove his previous claims. Some female fans have offered to donate their eggs for his research.