Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) yesterday apologized to the public after he was caught having an extramarital affair at a motel.
“I admitted to my wife yesterday that I did something wrong and she was very angry. I know I have to face this one-off mistake honestly,” Wu told a press conference at the legislature. “I have decided to spend some time alone for the next five days and hope the public will allow me the space to make amends with my family, children and parents.”
“I would like to apologize to the public for my shame and guilt,” Wu said, bowing in front of TV cameras.
Wu called the press conference after the Chinese-language Apple Daily ran a front page story yesterday with a series of pictures showing Wu and an unidentified woman arriving at a motel in Dazhi (大直), Taipei City, on Wednesday.
The report said that Wu, who is married and has three children, had dinner with the woman earlier that evening and arrived at the motel at 9:21pm, leaving at about 11:50pm.
The report said Wu admitted to having an affair after being confronted by an Apple Daily reporter in his office at the legislature on Thursday night, confirming that he and the woman did go to the motel and “what happened was exactly the same as what everyone would imagine.”
Wu told the press conference that he “got momentarily lost” because of an “impulse” and he went to a place he should not have visited.
He said he hoped his family and the public would be understanding and not blow the affair out of proportion for the sake of the woman involved, a single musician.
“Although this [affair] is part of my private life, I’m a public figure. I set a bad example [to the public],” Wu said.
Wu did not respond when asked if he had only slept with the woman on one occasion, saying only that the affair had “just begun.”
Wu, 51, was director-general of Taipei City’s Department of Information when President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was Taipei mayor.
A two-term legislator, Wu won the most votes during the legislative election in 2004 and has been reportedly eyeing the Taipei County commissioner’s position.
When asked for comment, KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (帥化民) said he envied Wu for “still having the ability to have an affair.”
“Compared with a lot of men who do not dare to admit they have done something wrong, Wu is brave,” KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said she hoped Wu would make amends and return to the right path.
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