Taipei: Hung Sun-han of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) became labor minister Monday, succeeding Ho Pei-shan, who stepped down last week because of a controversial bullying case that engulfed the Ministry of Labor (MOL).According to Focus Taiwan, Hung gave up his legislator-at-large seat to assume the position. This seat will now be filled by Wang Yi-chuan, director of the DPP's Policy Research and Coordinating Committee. The Ministry of Labor faced turmoil on November 4 when the body of a 39-year-old staffer was found dead in the Executive Yuan's Xinzhuang Joint Office Tower in New Taipei, leading to speculation on social media about workplace bullying.The speculation suggested the employee was driven to suicide due to bullying by supervisor Hsieh Yi-jung. A report from the MOL found no evidence linking Hsieh to the suicide, though Ho later described Hsieh's management style as inappropriate and said it made staff feel bullied.During the changeover ceremony, Hung bowed and apologized to t he family of the deceased employee on behalf of the MOL. He described the incident as heart-wrenching and expressed sorrow over the worker's death. Hung pledged to ensure that any future workplace bullying complaints from ministry employees would be effectively addressed.The new minister also committed to transforming the MOL into a model of a friendly workplace, aiming to regain social trust and protect labor rights. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the 1925, 1995, or 1980 hotlines in Taiwan for counseling or assistance.