Thesis Allegedly Plagiarized, Reconstruction Center CEO: 'It Was Shared Research Material'
Lee Po-chang, CEO of the Ministry of Labor's Center for Occupational Accident Prevention and Rehabilitation, is embroiled in a plagiarism scandal. He stated today that the material was from a shared research lab and is currently under review by the university's academic ethics committee, adding that he humbly accepts the public's scrutiny.
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- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 18:07
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(CNA, Taipei, 13th) Lee Po-chang, the CEO of the Ministry of Labor's Center for Occupational Accident Prevention and Rehabilitation, has been hit by a plagiarism scandal. In an interview today, he stated that the material in question was from a shared research laboratory and that he has already explained this to the university's academic ethics committee, which is currently reviewing the case. He added that he humbly accepts the public's accusations.
Mirror Media reported today that Lee Po-chang, a graduate of the Department of Civil Engineering and Disaster Prevention Technology at National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, is being accused of plagiarizing his 2017 doctoral thesis, "Design of Underwater Turbine Blades for Kuroshio Current Power Generation." The complaint alleges that his thesis copied a master's thesis published in 2012 by Lee Chuan-tsung, a graduate of the same university. Nearly one-third of the content is identical to the original work, down to the punctuation.
In response, Lee Po-chang told the media today that Lee Chuan-tsung was a junior member of their shared laboratory. He explained that the research was part of a series on Kuroshio current power generation, which included basic environmental data and calculation formulas, classifying it as shared research material from the lab.
He also clarified that Lee Chuan-tsung's research focused on the hydrographic charts for underwater vehicles, whereas his own research was on the turbines for those vehicles, making them entirely different research topics. He mentioned he has already presented his case to the university's academic ethics committee, which is still deliberating and has not yet determined it to be plagiarism. He humbly accepts the external allegations.
Regarding reports that he has already resigned, Lee Po-chang responded discreetly, stating it is one of the considerations in the overall personnel review of the reconstruction center and that this matter must be decided and answered by his superiors.
The Ministry of Labor stated that it respects the university's professional academic investigation and due process, while also respecting all the institutional rights of the individual involved.
As for the personnel adjustment, the Ministry of Labor said that when the reconstruction center was reorganized in May of last year, Lee Po-chang had expressed his desire to retire after assisting for one year to complete a phase of tasks, due to his career plans. After the Lunar New Year this year, Lee Po-chang brought it up again. The Ministry respected his wishes and planning and agreed to his departure as a regular employee at the end of this month.
According to records, Lee Po-chang, 65, previously served as the deputy director-general of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and later as the director of the Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health. When the reconstruction center was reorganized under Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han, Lee was promoted to be its CEO. (Editing: Chen Ching-fang) 1150513
Mirror Media reported today that Lee Po-chang, a graduate of the Department of Civil Engineering and Disaster Prevention Technology at National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, is being accused of plagiarizing his 2017 doctoral thesis, "Design of Underwater Turbine Blades for Kuroshio Current Power Generation." The complaint alleges that his thesis copied a master's thesis published in 2012 by Lee Chuan-tsung, a graduate of the same university. Nearly one-third of the content is identical to the original work, down to the punctuation.
In response, Lee Po-chang told the media today that Lee Chuan-tsung was a junior member of their shared laboratory. He explained that the research was part of a series on Kuroshio current power generation, which included basic environmental data and calculation formulas, classifying it as shared research material from the lab.
He also clarified that Lee Chuan-tsung's research focused on the hydrographic charts for underwater vehicles, whereas his own research was on the turbines for those vehicles, making them entirely different research topics. He mentioned he has already presented his case to the university's academic ethics committee, which is still deliberating and has not yet determined it to be plagiarism. He humbly accepts the external allegations.
Regarding reports that he has already resigned, Lee Po-chang responded discreetly, stating it is one of the considerations in the overall personnel review of the reconstruction center and that this matter must be decided and answered by his superiors.
The Ministry of Labor stated that it respects the university's professional academic investigation and due process, while also respecting all the institutional rights of the individual involved.
As for the personnel adjustment, the Ministry of Labor said that when the reconstruction center was reorganized in May of last year, Lee Po-chang had expressed his desire to retire after assisting for one year to complete a phase of tasks, due to his career plans. After the Lunar New Year this year, Lee Po-chang brought it up again. The Ministry respected his wishes and planning and agreed to his departure as a regular employee at the end of this month.
According to records, Lee Po-chang, 65, previously served as the deputy director-general of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and later as the director of the Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health. When the reconstruction center was reorganized under Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han, Lee was promoted to be its CEO. (Editing: Chen Ching-fang) 1150513