Taiwan's defense minister said Wednesday that a video at the center of an election neutrality dispute dates to 2024, before the current Taipei mayoral campaign, and reaffirmed that troops must stay out of politics.
Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Puma Shen, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's Taipei mayoral candidate, discussed national security concerns involving Douyin and TikTok in the video. Koo said it was released in April 2024 and that he had not heard of plans to rebroadcast it.
Chen Shih-hsuan, an opposition Taiwan People's Party councilor in New Taipei City, cited an aide's account on a political talk show Monday in alleging that service members had been shown the video, CNA reported. The aide had recently completed military service.
The Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday night that it would not take part in politics or election campaigns. It pointed to other officials and lawmakers who have contributed to its educational videos and warned that unsupported accounts could damage the armed forces' reputation.
