Media tycoon Lin Kun-hai (林崑海), founder of Sanlih Entertainment Television (SET) and an emerging political faction in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), died of head and neck cancer at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital on Monday night. He was 68.
Lin, who “left peacefully and finished the journey of his life,” is survived by his wife, Chang Hsiu (張秀), and his children and grandchildren, the media group said in a statement.
Lin, whose influence has spanned politics, business and media, was widely considered the spiritual leader of Taiwan Forward, also known in the party as the Hai faction.
Photo: CNA
In the past few years, the group has provided a counterbalance to members of the DPP’s former New Tide faction, currently the dominant influence in the party.
Key Taiwan Forward members include DPP legislators Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), Chao Tien-ling (趙天麟), Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and Lin Chu-ying (林楚茵), as well as Taipei City Councilor Ruan Jhao-syong (阮昭雄) and New Taipei City Councilor Ho Po-wen (何博文).
Group members have in the past few years sought to fill key positions in the party.
Political experts have said that Lin Kun-hai’s passing is expected to shake up the nine-in-one local elections on Nov. 26, as some politicians who aligned themselves with his group might switch their allegiance to other factions within the party.
After its founder’s death, SET News, which has aligned itself with the pan-green camp, might head in another direction, media experts said.
Born in 1954, Lin Kun-hai began his career as a taxi driver and a video rental store owner.
In 1983, Lin Kun-hai, Chang and Chang’s brother, Chang Rong-hua (張榮華), founded a media firm that produced and distributed videos of the comedy shows of Taiwanese entertainer Chu Ko Liang (豬哥亮).
In 1993, Lin Kun-hai established the Sanlih channel to broadcast videos produced by his firm, which was later renamed Sanlih Entertainment Television.
The network currently owns eight television channels, including three variety channels, two news channels, one entertainment channel, one drama channel and one international channel.
The network generated most of its profits from political talk shows and Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese)-language soap operas, both of which enjoyed high ratings.
Close observers of Lin Kun-hai said that his success in media helped solidify his influence in politics and the entertainment business.
Over the years, he accumulated considerable wealth from investing in real estate, with properties in Kaohsiung, Tainan and northern Taiwan.
Lin Kun-hai, real-estate developer Chung Chia-tsun (鍾嘉村) and media tycoon Lien Tai-sheng (練台生) also founded a property management firm in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖).
In 2001, Lin Kun-hai ran for legislator as an independent candidate in Kaohsiung. Although he lost, he remained active in politics by supporting politicians.
Since 2017, Lin Kun-hai appeared less often in public after he was seen going into a motel with then-Kaohsiung city councilor Yen Hsiao-ching (顏曉菁).
Over the past few years, Lin Kun-hai was battling head and neck cancer. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) visited him when he was undergoing treatment.
Media reports said that he had checked into the hospice ward at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital before the Lunar New Year holiday.
Lin Kun-hai was admired for his legacy in the media business and his support for local politicians, Wang said.
Lin Kun-hai sacrificed numerous opportunities to profit because he steadfastly held to the values of independence and democracy, he said.
“Taiwan Forward is an alliance of politicians with a clear goal and vision, and its members — from the Legislative Yuan to city councils — care about the development of Taiwan as Lin Kun-hai did,” Wang said. “We might have lost an important elder, but the spirit of fighting for Taiwan stays — and we will become stronger and more united.”
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