Independent Taipei mayoral candidate and physician Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday spoke regarding remarks he made in the past two days that drew fire from politicians across party lines, accusing him of discriminating against women.
“I should change the way I talk as my identity changes — I think I am still having a hard time transforming myself from a doctor to a politician — I am not making the change well enough,” Ko said during a campaign activity. “If what I said makes people uncomfortable, I should improve myself and apologize.”
“I would never discriminate against women. I used to work at the intensive care unit and 99 percent of my colleagues were female nurses, so women are important to me. But I am a poor speaker, I should work to improve that,” he added.
Ko was responding to accusations that he has sexist attitudes.
On Saturday, when taking part in a campaign activity for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chiayi mayoral candidate Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), he said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chiayi nominee Chen Yi-chen (陳以真) is incapable of handling a mayor’s role, adding that, since Chen is “young and beautiful,” she would be better off as a receptionist or appearing in a tourism advertisement.
On Sunday, when speaking to students at National Yang Ming University about choosing to work as a surgeon, he said that he eliminated departments he did not like when starting at National Taiwan University Hospital.
He eliminated the obstetrics and gynecology department because he said working there would mean that he would have “only one hole” to deal with, adding “I would have to make a living between women’s legs, so, just forget about it.”
Ko’s remarks fueled protests from female politicians from the KMT and the DPP.
“Ko should face up to his problem, especially when he is making people uncomfortable. He should apologize,” DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said.
DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said that she discussed Ko’s comments with women’s rights advocate Liu Yu-hsiu (劉毓秀) and they recommend that Ko read Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, adding that they hope “he would use his ability to learn quickly to understand the true meaning of gender equality.”
KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文) said he could not believe Ko’s comments.
Lien’s campaign spokesperson Yu Shu-hui (游淑惠) said she did not think Ko’s comments were sincere.
Typhoon Champi is forecast to turn northward earlier than previously expected, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of yesterday afternoon, was packing sustained winds of 198kph near its center, CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said. However, due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan’s Ishigaki Island, Cheng said. As Champi brushes
A sea warning for Typhoon Champi might be issued tonight, while the storm’s trajectory would determine whether a land warning is to be issued tomorrow night, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Champi was about 1,536km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), packing maximum sustained winds of 198kph, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 23kph and was expected to strengthen over the next 24 hours before weakening slightly as it approaches cooler waters east of Taiwan, Tseng said. Champi is expected to turn north tomorrow, with the angle of the
DEFENSE PROCUREMENT: Taiwan could become the largest operator of V-BAT drones outside the US if the contract is finalized, the Ministry of National Defense said The navy and the coast guard reportedly plan to acquire 292 units of MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) surveillance drones. If the contract is awarded and finalized, it would make Taiwan one of the largest buyers of the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the US-based defense technology company Shield AI. The Coast Guard Administration budgeted NT$1.2 billion (US$37.1 million) to buy 12 drones, which have been delivered, Shield AI said in a report on Oct 13. The navy is planning to spend NT$36 billion under a four-year program code-named Project Yuan Hsiao (遠鴞) to acquire 280 V-BAT drones,
Stable weather in northern Taiwan is expected to give way to rain this evening, while other parts of the country are to remain cloudy to sunny, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Northern and northeastern Taiwan could see intermittent rain this afternoon as seasonal northeasterly winds strengthen, with heavy rain possible in the greater Taipei area and Yilan County into the evening, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) said. Despite the approaching rain, daytime highs across Taiwan are to remain above 30°C, reaching 34°C in central and southern Taiwan, the CWA said. Starting tomorrow, seasonal northeasterly winds and the outer currents of Typhoon
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