20100620 Health minister Yaung ridicules Koreans

Health minister Yaung ridicules Koreans

NOT AGAIN: Known for making a number of inappropriate statements in public, Yaung Chih-liang’s comments on the sidelines of an international conference drew fire

By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Nadia Tsao
STAFF REPORTERS WITH STAFF WRITER , TAIPEI AND WASHINGTON
Sunday, Jun 20, 2010, Page 1

“It’s just like when [South] Korea also said Confucius was from [South] Korea. I detest Korean people.”— Yaung Chih-liang, Department of Health minister

Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang talks about the negative effects of ­alcohol in response to a press query on Friday in Washington.

PHOTO: CNA

Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) yesterday drew criticism from Taiwanese lawmakers over a remark he made in Washington, when he said he detests Korean people.

On the sidelines of his speech on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) system at an international conference held by the ­Washington-based Center for Strategy and International Studies on Friday, Yaung compared national health insurance systems in different countries and mentioned how South Korea transformed its multi-carrier national health insurance system into a single national health insurance ­system after a group came to Taiwan to visit him and to learn from Taiwan’s example.

“But South Korean people would never say they copied from Taiwan,” Yaung said.

He then said: “It’s just like when [South] Korea also said Confucius was from [South] Korea. I detest(討厭) Korean people.”

Apparently realizing his blunder, he quickly said: “It would be terrible if this is broadcast.”

In Taipei, commenting on Yaung’s gaffe, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) yesterday said that not only was what Yaung said “inappropriate” but it also “disgraced the dignity of the nation” because Yaung is a government official.

“South Korea learned something from Taiwan’s NHI system. We should have felt honored by that. It doesn’t matter if South Korea said it learned from Taiwan or not,” Lo said.

Democratic Progressive Party Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) said Yaung had never learned from past lessons that he should be more cautious with his words.

Huang was referring to controversial comments Yaung made in the past. He once said that “single people are more prone to mental illness” when he explained why single people should be asked to pay higher health insurance premiums in a plan to reform the NHI system.

Yaung also put his foot in his mouth recently when, promoting AIDS prevention, he said he wished that condoms could be available at betel nut stands and that betel nut beauties (檳榔西施), who often wear revealing apparel, could help the government in its AIDS awareness program.

“From the perspectives of a man, betel nut beauties should not be cracked down on,” he said. “Of course betel nut beauties should wear revealing apparel so that they can be eye-catching.”

“How could a politically appointed official make discriminatory comments about another country at an international occasion?” Huang said yesterday. “This was not the first time that Yaung has made improper comments, and it is because the Cabinet has indulged him instead of asking him to behave himself.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no comment on that, with deputy spokesman James Chang (章計平) referring the press to Yaung to explain the context.

Meanwhile, Executive Yuan Spokesman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said the Cabinet respected personal comments unrelated to government policies made by Cabinet officials, but added the Executive Yuan also wished that Cabinet officials would be more cautious and take public sentiments into consideration before making comments.

Bureau of National Health Insurance Director Cheng Shou-hsia (鄭守夏) said the national health insurance reform Yaung mentioned was implemented by South Korea about 10 years ago when Yaung was DOH deputy minister under the former KMT administration.

Cheng said Taiwan and South Korea often exchange views on their national health insurance systems. South Korea implemented its national health insurance system earlier than Taiwan, but Taiwan’s system has been internationally recognized as better, Cheng added.

In his speech on Friday, Yaung said he was not optimistic about health insurance reform in the US because the US has too many private health insurance carriers, leaving too much leeway for fraud.