TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), father of former Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), passed away at the National Taiwan University Hospital in Hsinchu (臺大醫院新竹分院) on Monday morning (Feb. 17). He was 94.
After a bicycle accident in August 2024, which led to his hospitalization, Ko Cheng-fa was diagnosed with cancer. Despite undergoing surgery, Ko Cheng-fa's condition did not improve and continued to deteriorate while Ko Wen-je was being detained on corruption charges, under investigation for the Core Pacific City case (京華城案).
On Sunday evening, the hospital reported that Ko Cheng-fa's condition had worsened. Ko Wen-je was allowed to visit his father at the hospital and was escorted there by prison guards, before returning to the Taipei Detention Center (台北看守所) at 3:22 a.m Monday morning.
At around 8:40 a.m. Monday, the hospital and Ko's family confirmed that the patriarch had passed. The detention center revealed Ko could apply for a return home visit under Article 23 of the "Detention Act" (羈押法第二十三條), which states that "in the event of the death of a defendant's grandparent, parent, spouse, child, sibling, or parent of spouse, the defendant may, with approval from senior detention center officials, go home for a visit under escort and then return back to the detention center within 24 hours."
However, as of 1 p.m. Monday, Ko's family hasn't submitted such an application.
In the past, Ko Wen-je has often cited his father's reluctance for him to enter the political field. Ko Cheng-fa graduated from "Hsinchu Normal College"(新竹師範專科學校), and dedicated 32 years to teaching at Dongyuan Elementary School (東園國小) in Hsinchu City. He avoided politics due to his father's suffering during the 228 Incident (228事件), an anti-government social movement in Taiwan in 1947. Later, Ko Cheng-fa reluctantly supported his son's political ambitions, admitting to having frequent headaches during his son's political involvement.
Ko Cheng-fa's funeral will be held at the Hsinchu Mortuary Services Office (新竹市殯儀館) on March 2.
