If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

If I could invite anyone to dinner and be certain they’d come, I think I’d invite Ko Wen-je.

It’s not because I particularly support his political views, nor because he’s free of controversy today. In fact, quite the opposite—he’s currently under investigation and surrounded by public scrutiny. The image of him as a clean and rational public figure has become increasingly blurred. And yet, precisely because of that, I find myself wanting to sit down and have a proper meal with him.

A Dinner on TV

My first encounter with Ko Wen-je came through a Taiwanese TV show called Who’s Coming to Dinner? In one memorable episode, a medical student about to graduate confessed he had no plans to take the physician licensing exam. Instead, he hoped to become a full-time volunteer—a decision that left his family worried and confused.

The show invited Ko Wen-je—then still a physician at National Taiwan University Hospital—to join the family for dinner and help talk through the issue.

Rather than lecturing or scolding, Ko spoke with calm logic, clear thinking, and a surprisingly gentle tone. He didn’t push the student back onto the so-called “mainstream path,” but instead used reason and empathy to gently peel back the layers of confusion, both in the student and his family.

I remember he said something that left a deep impression on me. The gist was:

“Right now, your road is wide. If you don’t take the licensing exam, you’re narrowing it too soon. Keep your options open. Don’t close the door before you even know where it leads.”

He’s Not Just Himself—He’s Our Projection

Years later, Ko Wen-je is no longer just a doctor. He’s a former mayor of Taipei, founder of a political party, and even a former presidential candidate. These days, he’s caught in a whirlwind of accusations, court cases, and public debate.

This only makes me more curious: Does he still believe in what he used to say so clearly? Do those values still hold for him? Or have they been reshaped—worn down—by politics and power?

Perhaps the real reason I want to invite him to dinner isn’t merely to talk with him, but to confront the version of myself who once resonated so deeply with what he stood for.

Every Society Has Its Heroes

Every country, every society, has its version of the “righteous figure.”

In Japan, people tend to revere quiet, diligent craftspeople. In the U.S., the public loves heroic individuals with grand visions who defy the odds. In Taiwan, for a while, we seemed enamored with a different type—rational, pragmatic, no-nonsense professionals who spoke plainly and acted efficiently. Ko Wen-je was, for a time, a near-perfect reflection of that ideal.

But our heroes often fall. Or at the very least, they change. And when they do, it often says as much about us as it does about them.