Ko Wen-je | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 柯文哲 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Ko in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Chairman of the Taiwan People's Party | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 August 2019 – 29 August 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | TBD (acting) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th Mayor of Taipei | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 25 December 2014 – 25 December 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | See list | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Hau Lung-pin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Chiang Wan-an | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 August 1960 Hsinchu City, Taiwan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Taiwan People's Party (2019–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Peggy Chen | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Ho Jui-ying Ko Cheng-fa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Ko Mei-lan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Republic of China Army | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1986–1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Second lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 柯文哲 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Ko Wen-je (Chinese: 柯文哲; pinyin: Kē Wénzhé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Koa Bûn-tiat; born 6 August 1960; also known by his nickname, Ko P (Chinese: 柯P; pinyin: Kē Pī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Koa Phi)) is a Taiwanese politician and physician who served as the mayor of Taipei from 2014 to 2022. He has been the chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) since founding it in 2019.
Before becoming mayor, he was a doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital. He was also a professor at National Taiwan University College of Medicine, and specialized in fields including trauma, intensive care, organ transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and artificial organs.[1] Due to his profession, he has been nicknamed Ko P or KP (which stands for Professor Ko, and is how he is customarily referred to within National Taiwan University). Ko was responsible for standardizing organ transplant procedures in Taiwan, and was the first physician to bring ECMO to Taiwan. Apart from his practice, Ko is known for his numerous media appearances and interviews as a social and political commentator.
In the 2014 Taipei Mayoral Election, Ko ran as an independent candidate. He beat Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Pasuya Yao in the unofficial primary, gaining support from the DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). Ko won the election with 853,983 votes, becoming the first physician mayor of the city since the introduction of direct election to the office.
Ko was the official presidential nominee of the TPP for the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election. He presented his campaign as a “third way” between DPP and Kuomintang (KMT), the two parties that have traditionally dominated Taiwan's political landscape.[2]
- ^ "Biography at NTUH". Archived from the original on 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2014-09-22.
- ^ "Ko Wen-Je: Taiwan's 'Grey Rhino' President-to-be?". London Politica. Retrieved 2023-10-03.