Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chao Tian-lin (趙天麟) yesterday confirmed that he had an extramarital affair years ago and issued a public apology to his supporters, adding that his wife has forgiven him.
On Monday evening, Chinese-language media reported that Chao and a Chinese woman were allegedly involved in an extramarital affair. The reports included intimate photographs of Chao and a woman.
Chao yesterday told a news conference at his office in Kaohsiung that he had an extramarital affair many years ago and he was sorry to have caused his wife pain.
Photo: Huang Liang-chieh, Taipei Times
“I have apologized sincerely and received her forgiveness,” he said. “She knows everything that the reports have covered.”
The news conference lasted about two minutes and Chao left without taking questions.
In Taipei, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智?) and Chen Mei-ya (陳美雅), who is running in the same constituency as Chao, told a news conference that Chao is unfit to be a lawmaker.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德), speaking as DPP chairman, issued a public apology over the incident.
Chao was previously embroiled in allegations that he had plagiarized his master’s thesis, and it is even more unbecoming for a member of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee to have an extramarital affair with a Chinese woman, Lai said.
KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君), who has been accused of leaking national security secrets related to the indigenous submarine program, asked whether allegations that Chao instructed an aide to apply for his “Chinese girlfriend” to gain entrance to Taiwan under the pretense of cosmetic surgery should be considered a national security issue.
New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said that the public is not concerned whether Chao’s wife had forgiven him for the affair.
However, national security agencies should begin immediate investigations into the matter, as Chao had an extended extramarital affair with a citizen of a hostile state while being a two-time convener of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Chiu said.
Chao last night announced he will not seek re-election in January’s legislative election.
Additional reporting by Tung Chen-kuo.
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