Author Neil Peng (馮光遠) yesterday was ordered to pay NT$1 million (US$30,361) in damages and publish apologies after a Civil Court reversed an earlier decision, ruling in favor of former National Security Council secretary-general King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) in a libel suit.
The ruling can be appealed.
The ruling came after King, a long-time top aide to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), appealed a High Court decision made in March seeking NT$2 million in damages over remarks Peng made saying that King had a “special relationship” with Ma, a phrase that King said implied a “sexual relationship.”
“I cannot accept this decision, because it is far removed from my expected outcome. For sure, I will appeal this case,” Peng said.
He added that the Criminal Court and Taipei District Court’s Civil Court both ruled in his favor in earlier decisions.
“Since no new evidence was presented, I am curious about the reasons behind the judge’s decision,” Peng said. “The ruling will affect the nation’s development, as well as have ramifications for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”
King said this would not be the final verdict and that he would fight future litigation to highlight the difference between freedom of speech and abuse of free speech.
“Winning this appeal marks my first victory in a lawsuit since 2007. I have lost eight cases between then and now,” King said.
During a court appearance last month, King said Peng claimed in court that the phrase should be read as a “special relationship,” despite publicly urging King and Ma to “come out of the closet.”
King said Peng’s blog posts have exceeded the limits of public criticism by using “scurrilous language,” which King said has caused harm to his reputation.
Peng said in court that “King has never once earned a single vote from Taiwanese,” but had the perks and privileges at top government posts due to his relationship with Ma.
Earlier rulings said that Peng’s comments did not constitute libel.
While his wording was mean-spirited, they were not “empty slander,” they said.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan