Bowing to mounting pressure, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairmanship candidate and former senior presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) yesterday apologized to women for disrespectful remarks he made on Tuesday.
“I would like to offer my sincere apology to all women in this country,” he said.
Referring to former vice premier Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the only female contender in the election scheduled for May 18, Koo said that the party’s current problems should be dealt with by men and questioned the suitability of letting a “single woman” take care of them.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
It was not the first time Koo has made controversial remarks about women. In March last year, Koo insinuated that Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was not suitable to run in the DPP’s presidential primary, saying “someone in a skirt would not make a good commander-in-chief.”
Lu yesterday dismissed Koo’s remark as coming from “someone living in the Stone Age who is not fit for the 21st century.”
Tsai yesterday remained low-key, saying that she could understand why the 82-year-old Koo would make such remarks.
“He is an elder and he already apologized,” Tsai said.
The other contender Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said that Koo’s remarks were inappropriate and “didn’t sound good.”
He emphasized that all people are equal under the Constitution and that the times are different.
Earlier yesterday, several women’s rights groups condemned Koo.
At a press conference at the legislature, Taiwan Women’s Link (TWL) secretary-general Tsai Wan-fen (蔡宛芬) said the groups did not rule out launching a campaign to call on female DPP members to quit the party should Koo be elected chairman.
Tsai Wan-fen said Koo’s repetition of discriminatory comments had harmed the DPP’s image, adding that the DPP should change its name to “Democratic Regressive Party.”
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
Also See: EDITORIAL: When an apology isn't enough
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
RSS