Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday returned to work at the Kaohsiung City Government and apologized to the city’s residents for not attending to his mayoral duties during his presidential campaign.
“I am sorry for having been away from Kaohsiung for three full months. I am sorry that I have not been there with you,” Han told a news conference at the Kaohsiung City Government.
Han on Oct. 16 last year took a leave of absence to run as the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate in the presidential election, which on Saturday culminated with him losing to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) by more than 2.6 million votes.
Photo: Chang Chung-i, Taipei Times
Although he had been on leave, the city government continued to carry out its duties, he said.
His priority would be to ensure that city residents experience a good Lunar New Year holiday, Han said, adding that he would keep the city safe and clean, and its consumer prices stable.
Asked about a post-election international news conference in Kaohsiung on Saturday, which he abruptly canceled at the last minute, Han said he canceled the conference because he had already given a speech on stage.
He had spoken his mind and urged his supporters to return home and calmly accept the election results in a concession speech earlier that day, he said.
“We hoped people would calm down, because they were very emotional... They were almost out of control,” Han added.
Asked about video footage showing him dining at a hotpot restaurant reportedly soon after the canceled news conference, Han said he had treated his campaign team to a meal, as none of them had had dinner.
Han declined to answer a question about younger KMT members’ call for a review of the party’s cross-strait policy, saying that it is irrelevant to the city government.
However, he said that there is a storm awaiting the nation.
“Members of the public must be united and the central government must lead the nation along a path with the most favorable conditions, while avoiding the opposite,” Han said.
Asked if he would consider running for party chairman if KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) steps down, Han said he has “absolutely no plans” to run for the post.
While a coalition of civic groups continue with a campaign to recall Han, he said that the campaign was launched just two months after he became mayor.
That such a campaign exists shows the value of freedom and democracy, Han said, adding that his team at the city government would continue to work hard.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese