Irony: Ko Wen-je's 20-year-old criticism of Chao Chien-ming boomerangs

Physician and author Yang Sze-chi has highlighted a perceived hypocrisy in the past criticisms leveled by Ko Wen-je, a prominent Taiwanese politician, against former official Chao Chien-ming. Yang noted that an article Ko wrote two decades ago, which strongly condemned Chao's alleged corruption and extravagant lifestyle, now serves as a stark contrast to Ko's own subsequent controversies.

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The weakness and indulgence of the NTUH system allowed a young person to fall into an abyss from which they could not extricate themselves.

In his earlier writings, Ko, then a doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital, sharply criticized Chao for alleged involvement in scandals like the "Mitsui dinner," insider trading, and extravagant spending. Ko questioned how a junior attending physician could afford such luxury and lamented the "weakness and indulgence" of the hospital system that he believed enabled Chao's downfall. He called for the hospital to reflect and apologize to society.

However, Yang argues that Ko's own political career has seen him embroiled in similar controversies. These include allegations of visiting luxury properties like the Tao Zhu Yin Yuan and purchasing a commercial property valued at 40 million New Taiwan dollars under his own name. Yang suggests that Ko, who once stood on a moral high ground criticizing the elite, now appears to operate under a similar logic.

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Twenty years later, looking back, all the beautiful comparisons in that article have been spared.

Furthermore, Yang points to two "models" Ko once praised that have since faltered. Ko had lauded National Taiwan University Hospital for its adherence to principles, citing an instance where even a former Education Minister had to wait in the emergency room. Yet, Yang notes, a legislator from Ko's party was later accused of cutting the queue at the same hospital. The son of the former minister, whom Ko had described as a gentleman, was later indicted for fraud and remains a fugitive. Yang concludes that the "diagnosis" Ko made 20 years ago about systemic "weakness and indulgence" remains relevant, perhaps only needing a change in the "patient's" name.

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If Ko Wen-je's diagnosis in 2006 that 'the problem lies in collective weakness and indulgence' was correct, then after 20 years, the cause of the disease on this diagnosis has not changed; perhaps only the patient's name needs to be changed.