'I will protest till the day I die'

Recently, the "crooked legal system" has become Ko's No. 1 enemy since a Taipei court handed him a seven-year sentence on June 30 for accounting fraud. He allegedly bought up companies on the brink of bankruptcy and fudged the books to make it seem as though they were profitable, thus cheating banks and investors out of up to NT$300 million. Ko plans to appeal and is convinced of success with the help of Hualien prosecutor and "legal hero" Lee Tsu-chun (李子春).

"If what I did was a crime, then banks are committing crimes all the time. I'm just a regular businessman," he said.

His long-time outrage towards injustice in the legal system has been a major influence in Ko's activism. Ko said he "encountered the oppression of the law" when a construction company he was working with was dealt a blow by a court ruling against it in a land dispute. "I felt it was unfair," he said, "so you see I have over 20 years of experience with the legal system." Ko begrudgingly admits that the system is slowly changing for the better.

In general, Ko feels as though his persistent protests are affecting change in the government, albeit too little and too slow for his taste. He has never considered changing his approach to activism and as for any criticism of his methods, he merely laughs it off. "If other people are allowed to grab the spotlight, why shouldn't I?" he said of a recent spat with Hollywood actress Bai Ling (白靈), when he approached her at Shilin Night Market and tried to steal the media attention away from her.

Ko said he is encouraged by young people's reaction to his antics, which include bringing along bikini-clad babes to his protests and rapping. "You can ask students on the street about me," he said. "They all know me and support me -- they like the way I do things, because of my courage and determination."

Perhaps Ko isn't the best role model for the kids, but surely the older generation could learn a lesson or two from him about being obnoxious for the sake of what one believes in. And there's some comfort to be taken in the thought that no matter how much Taipei changes, Ko will always keep on doing what he does. "I will protest till the day I die," he said.