Often shy and reserved, former first lady Tseng Wen-hui (
"Normally I seem to be very submissive, but I am not easily bullied at critical moments," the 77-year-old Tseng once said.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
Appalled by the judge's verdict on Tuesday that cleared three New Party members of slander charges, Tseng says she will appeal the ruling.
The trio had accused Tseng of trying to flee to New York with US$85 million in cash stuffed into 54 suitcases shortly after the 2000 presidential election.
On March 29, 2000, Tseng filed a slander lawsuit against two former New Party lawmakers, Elmer Fung (
The trio claimed the former first lady tried to enter New York on March 19, 2000, but was denied entry by US customs agents.
The lawsuit made Taiwan history as it was the first time a first lady was involved in a legal controversy and appeared in court.
"I feel I have been treated unfairly," she said nearly one month ago, shedding tears in front of the judge.
Tseng said that she and her husband, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), prefer to stay in the country, especially when it runs into trouble.
"When the nation goes through changes, the responsibility of [my husband and I] is to guard the country. Who would take large sums of money and run? Where could we run? We have never thought of fleeing and we will never do that," Tseng said.
She said that for the more than 10 years of Lee's presidency, she and her husband put up with all kinds of defamation, insults and personal attacks.
"God created human beings, and their tears flow outward; but mine flow inward," the devout Christian stated.
"If we are compelled to leave Taiwan for any reason, I would first send my husband away. This is the most natural thought for any Taiwanese woman," she told Fuyuko Kamisada, the Japanese author of The President in the Tiger's Mouth (
Japanese upbringing
The statements best explain Tseng's character and the strong feelings she has for her husband.
Born in 1926 in Sanchih township, Taipei County, Tseng grew up in a well-to-do family and received a Japanese-style education when Taiwan was under Japan's control.
Deeply influenced by her Japanese upbringing, Tseng appears to have a docile and gentle manner, and always puts her husband as her top priority.
Lee once told reporters about the "one-minute philosophy" -- a principle strictly adhered to by his wife.
"No matter where she goes during the day, she always arrives home at least one minute before I do," Lee said.
One article penned by their belated son, Lee Hsien-wen (
"My mother would put makeup on to welcome my father when he returned home from a trip -- an attempt to please him," the younger Lee wrote.
Despite her high profile, Tseng has made few public appearances -- both when Lee was in power and after he stepped down -- a habit she fosters for the sake of her husband.
"When men struggle for their careers outside, it is better for women to stay at home and give their support from behind," she said at a campaign event for TSU legislative candidates last year.
When at public events, she wears her trademark smile and listens attentively to what her husband has to say.
But it is little known that Tseng has also been one of Lee's most trusted advisers.
"When I lose my sense of judgment for my lack of understanding of the thoughts of ordinary people, I always turn to my wife because I regard her to be the most typical civilian," Lee told Kamisada.
Source of advice
Lee turned to his wife in 1995 when he was trying to decide whether to send his condolences or apologies to the families of 228 Incident victims. Tseng was the one who suggested that an apology was needed to heal the emotional wounds of Taiwanese.
When Lee was the mayor of Taipei from 1978 to 1981 Tseng suggested the city government hold concerts featuring Taiwanese folk songs in an effort to bridge the cultural gap between Taiwanese and Chinese.
Her idea continued when her husband was president. Lee was the first of Taiwan's leaders to hold concerts at the Presidential Office.
Music and literature are the two common interests for Tseng and Lee.
Starting in their younger days, Lee opened a world of literature for Tseng. And in return, Tseng introduced Lee the beauty of classical music and opera.
More recently, the couple moved to Taoyuan from their residence in Waishuangshi, Taipei. The move allows them distance themselves from political uproar and to be nearer the golf courses they enjoy.
Having been married for 53 years, the couple had three children: Lee Hsien-wen, Anna Lee (
Spending over half a century with Lee, Tseng seems to have no complaints, even though her husband was often away due to his involvement in politics.
"He loves Taiwan, more than me," she once said, betraying a smile.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
THE HAWAII FACTOR: While a 1965 opinion said an attack on Hawaii would not trigger Article 5, the text of the treaty suggests the state is covered, the report says NATO could be drawn into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait if Chinese forces attacked the US mainland or Hawaii, a NATO Defense College report published on Monday says. The report, written by James Lee, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, states that under certain conditions a Taiwan contingency could trigger Article 5 of NATO, under which an attack against any member of the alliance is considered an attack against all members, necessitating a response. Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty specifies that an armed attack in the territory of any member in Europe,
LIKE FAMILY: People now treat dogs and cats as family members. They receive the same medical treatments and tests as humans do, a veterinary association official said The number of pet dogs and cats in Taiwan has officially outnumbered the number of human newborns last year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s pet registration information system showed. As of last year, Taiwan had 94,544 registered pet dogs and 137,652 pet cats, the data showed. By contrast, 135,571 babies were born last year. Demand for medical care for pet animals has also risen. As of Feb. 29, there were 5,773 veterinarians in Taiwan, 3,993 of whom were for pet animals, statistics from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency showed. In 2022, the nation had 3,077 pediatricians. As of last
XINJIANG: Officials are conducting a report into amending an existing law or to enact a special law to prohibit goods using forced labor Taiwan is mulling an amendment prohibiting the importation of goods using forced labor, similar to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) passed by the US Congress in 2021 that imposed limits on goods produced using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. A government official who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday that as the US customs law explicitly prohibits the importation of goods made using forced labor, in 2021 it passed the specialized UFLPA to limit the importation of cotton and other goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur region. Taiwan does not have the legal basis to prohibit the importation of goods