Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday announced that he is taking a leave of absence, starting today and lasting until the Jan. 11 elections, to focus on his presidential campaign.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate made the announcement outside of the Kaohsiung City Government in front of hundreds of cheering supporters, where he gave a short speech and sang a song, but did not take questions from reporters.
The city government said Han had applied for 21 days of paid leave and 56 days of unpaid leave.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
Han told his supporters that over the past several months he has seen a newfound sense of warmth, courage and hope in Kaohsiung.
“Many friends encouraged me to run for president, not because they want me to give up Kaohsiung, but because they want to spread the warmth and hope to all parts of Taiwan,” he said.
To do so, he would set off from the south, he said, adding that he aims to “rebuild Taiwan’s glory.”
He then sang a military song called I Am Going to War Now (我現在要出征), joined by his supporters.
Following the announcement, Han visited KMT councilors at their caucus office at the Kaohsiung City Council.
However, he did not visit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councilors’ caucus office, which is decorated with placards criticizing him.
Asked why he did not meet with DPP councilors, Han said he had not been invited.
“I sincerely ask the residents of Kaohsiung to understand and support [my decision]. After all, Kaohsiung cannot become better unless Taiwan is better,” Han later wrote on Facebook.
He is embarking on a nationwide journey to consult members of the public on policymaking, he said.
According to the schedule released by Han’s campaign office, his first stop will be at 10am today at Cape Eluanbi in Pingtung County, the southernmost point on the island.
While on leave, Han will not receive his monthly mayoral allowance of NT$144,000 and is to donate NT$197,378 from his NT$196,320 monthly salary to the Kaohsiung Social Affairs Bureau for charity uses, the city government said.
If a mayor takes off for more than one month, the monthly mayoral allowance goes to the acting mayor, it said.
Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said he would serve as acting mayor during Han’s leave and attend interpellations and budget meetings at the city council.
He and the other two deputy mayors would run the city according to Han’s vision, Yeh said.
Han has instructed city officials to work hard over the next three months, Yeh added.
DPP spokeswoman Lee Ming-li (李明俐) said Han is apparently uninterested in running Kaohsiung, joining the presidential race just months after taking office and repeatedly arriving late at events.
“Han should resign instead of taking time off,” she said.
Asked by reporters for a comment, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said Han cannot even fulfill his promises to Kaohsiung residents, yet he is going to travel around the nation trumpeting that he can “save Taiwan.”
“Are you [the public] going to fall for that again?” Su said.
Additional reporting by Yang Chun-huei, Sean Lin and CNA
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
WARNING: China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after its new regulation took effect last month, an official said, citing an incident in the Diaoyutai Islands The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday linked China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to Beijing’s new regulation authorizing the China Coast Guard to seize boats in waters it claims. Chinese officials boarded and then seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel operating near China’s coast close to Kinmen County late on Tuesday and took it to a Chinese port, the CGA said. The Penghu-registered squid fishing vessel Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88) was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣), 17.5 nautical miles (32.4km) from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Kinmen,
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military
As eight basketball-playing international students appealed to the Taiwanese basketball industry after they were excluded from the draft of an upcoming new league merging the P.League+ and the T1 League, the new league’s preparatory committee spokesperson Chang Shu-jen (張樹人) yesterday said the committee would tomorrow discuss the supplementary measures and whether the international students can join the draft. The students on Tuesday called for support on their right to play in the upcoming new league, after a merger involving the two leagues impacted their eligibility for the draft. The international players from the University Basketball Association (UBA), led by first pick prospect