TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Economic Affairs Minister J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) ignited a political firestorm Tuesday (Aug. 12) during testimony before the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, when he dismissed local support for extending the No. 3 Nuclear Power Plant's operation. Responding to a survey showing 75% of Hengchun (恆春) Peninsula residents favor the extension, Kuo suggested their support stemmed from financial incentives. The minister provocatively questioned whether residents would maintain their backing if the government removed neighborly benefits, sparking immediate outrage from opposition lawmakers.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Chairman Kuo-Chang Huang (黃國昌) unleashed scathing criticism of the minister's remarks, immediately demanding Kuo's resignation from his cabinet post. Huang vented his outrage on Facebook, condemning what he characterized as the minister's condescending tone toward local residents. The opposition leader also highlighted Kuo's previous dismissive attitude toward Taipower employees, Taiwan's state-owned electricity company, who had proposed energy policy adjustments to address the island's power challenges.
Huang countered with his party's own polling data showing 70% of Taiwan's population supports extending the nuclear plant's operation under safe conditions, emphasizing this support exists independently of any financial incentives. The TPP chairman stressed that public anxiety over Taiwan's unreliable power grid poses serious threats to daily life and industrial competitiveness, making stable, low-carbon nuclear energy essential for the island's future. Huang demanded that Premier Jung-Tai Cho (卓榮泰) issue a public apology while reiterating his call for Kuo's immediate dismissal. ◼
