Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je responded on Sunday to a protest over remarks he made about foreign spouses married to Taiwanese men.
At a forum on gender issues on Saturday, Ko had used the word “imported” to refer to the women. After learning that there are more unmarried men than women in Taiwan, Ko had responded by asking how that was possible when there are more than 300,000 “imported” foreign brides in Taiwan.
More than a dozen members of the Taipei Association of Care of New Immigrant Women staged a protest in front of Taipei City Hall on Sunday, demanding an apology.
Two female city councilors – Angela Ying and Lee Yen-hsiu – attended the protest to show their support. A city government official met with the protestors and received a petition that he promised to pass on to the mayor.
When asked by the media if he would offer an apology for his remarks, Ko said that he had misspoken and had meant no ill will.