Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, last night thanked supporters for their efforts as he conceded defeat in the election.
“All I can say is that the hard work I put in was not enough, and I have let you all down,” Han told a rally outside the KMT’s Kaohsiung chapter in the city’s Sanmin District (三民).
He thanked supporters for their love and efforts, saying that it had been an honor to have former premier Simon Chang (張善政) as his running mate.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
“The people of the Republic of China have made their choice and I absolutely respect the election result,” Han said.
Earlier in the evening, he congratulated President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on her re-election, he said.
Hopefully, Tsai will create a better life for the people and the nation will again show its solidarity, he added.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
“Starting on Monday, I will return to work at the Kaohsiung City Government,” Han said, adding that there is much to be done before the Lunar New Year holiday.
Following Han’s speech, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) announced at KMT headquarters in Taipei that he and vice chairmen Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), as well as all executive-level members involved in the election, would tender their resignations to the KMT Central Standing Committee to take responsibility for the party’s defeat in the presidential and legislative elections.
The committee is to make a decision about their resignations at its meeting on Wednesday, Wu said.
Photo: CNA
“The KMT did not do well in the elections and must calmly review its performance,” Wu said.
Outside the KMT’s Kaohsiung chapter, the party had set up a large screen on Jianguo Road for about 1,000 supporters who had gathered to watch the vote count.
The supporters initially appeared hopeful, with many chanting dong suan (凍蒜), a Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) expression meaning “get elected,” despite Han failing to hold a small early lead over Tsai.
However, as the gap between Han and Tsai widened, many fell silent and became visibly anxious.
By 6:30pm, about two-and-a-half hours after the ballot counting began, Han trailed Tsai by more than 1.2 million votes and several supporters broke into tears.
The loss marks the fourth time the KMT is to be an opposition party since the DPP won its first presidential election in 2000.
Before the DPP’s Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) won the 2000 presidential election, the KMT had ruled the nation for nearly six decades.
The loss was another blow to the KMT, which was desperate to return to power following a disastrous electoral defeat in 2016, when Tsai won the presidential election by the second-largest margin in the nation’s history and the DPP secured an absolute majority in the Legislative Yuan.
Additional reporting by Fang Chih-hsien
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS