1. Koo Kwang-ming was a Taiwanese statesman, businessman, and independence activist.
16 Facts About Koo Kwang-ming
1. 2.
Koo Kwang-ming swiftly made common cause with the Japanese colonial authorities in Taiwan and grew extremely wealthy during the period of Japanese rule.
3.
Koo Kwang-ming went into exile in Japan after the 228 massacre, where he lived for decades as an advocate for Taiwanese independence.
4.
Koo Kwang-ming's son born in Kobe, Richard Koo, is a prominent economist in Japan.
5.
Koo Kwang-ming died at Taipei Veterans General Hospital on 27 February 2023.
6.
Koo Kwang-ming enrolled at what is National Taiwan University in 1944 to study political science.
7.
Koo Kwang-ming left Taiwan for Hong Kong soon after the 228 incident, and later settled in Japan.
8.
In 1972, Koo Kwang-ming traveled in secret from Japan via Thailand to Taiwan.
9.
Koo Kwang-ming met Chiang Ching-kuo, son of ruler Chiang Kai-shek, to argue for the lifting of martial law.
10.
Koo Kwang-ming accepted, but on landing in Taiwan was upset to see his return described as "surrender" in an evening newspaper.
11.
Koo Kwang-ming replied that he "had not returned to surrender, but to bring my influence to bear [on the situation]".
12.
Influential independence activist Su Beng contradicted this assertion, accusing Koo Kwang-ming of "surrendering to the Chiang government".
13.
Koo Kwang-ming joined the Democratic Progressive Party in 1996, when fellow independence activist Peng Ming-min received its presidential nomination.
14.
Koo Kwang-ming later served president Chen Shui-bian as an adviser, resigning his post and DPP membership in 2005.
15.
Koo Kwang-ming was appointed adviser to Tsai Ing-wen in November 2016, four months after she had taken office as President of the Republic of China.
16.
In 2014 Koo Kwang-ming announced that he would be giving away half of his fortune, NT$3 billion, through his New Taiwan Peace Foundation.