Health minister nominee faces plagiarism allegations

By Chung Hyun-chae

Health and welfare minister nominee Chung Chin-youb faces allegations that he plagiarized his students’ academic theses.

According to sources in medical circles, Friday, three of Chung’s papers published in journals by the Korean Orthopaedic Association in 2004, 2005 and 2007, respectively, have extensive content copied from his students’ master’s theses.

Chung, 60, has worked as a professor of Seoul National University for 25 years and served as president of the university hospital in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, from 2008-2013.

In particular, his most recent paper, “Bilateral Femoral Derotatioal Osteotomy in Spastic Diplegia -- Outcome Assessment of Single Stage Multilevel Surgery,” showed similarities to one of his students’ 2005 papers in terms of title, content and conclusion.

According to Copykiller, a plagiarism checking program, the two papers had a 74 percent similarity rating. In general, a 20 percent rating is considered plagiarism unacceptable in academia.

Chung’s other two theses were also allegedly plagiarized, with some parts slightly different.

Chung specified only himself as the lead author in the three theses, without even putting the students’ names as joint authors.

With those controversial theses, Chung received funding for his research from the Seoul National University Hospital and an ergonomics research foundation.

The hospital did not release the amount of funding it provided to him.

Ministry officials said they are collecting information about the issue.

Cheong Wa Dae nominated Chung for the top health official post, Tuesday, replacing former Minister Moon Hyung-pyo who was under fire for a poor response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak.

Chung is not the first Cabinet minister candidate hit by plagiarism scandals under the incumbent administration.

Kim Myung-soo, 67, a nominee for education minister, withdrew last year following plagiarism allegations.

Some other government officials were also embroiled in similar accusations, but did not step down. They include former Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Yoo Il-ho.