The memorial service for independence advocate and former presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) has been extended to Wednesday, Taiwan New Constitution Foundation executive director Lin Yi-cheng (林宜正) said on Friday.
The change was to accommodate the number of people who want to attend, Lin said, adding that interest was much higher than expected.
A separate public memorial would be arranged next month, he said.
Photo: CNA
Koo, who passed away on Monday at the age of 96, was a businessman best known for his life-long advocacy of Taiwanese independence.
People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) — who was alternatively a political ally and opponent of Koo — visited the memorial site at the foundation in Taipei, Lin said.
Lin said Soong told the group in attendance that during the martial law period, Koo advised then-vice premier Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) that a change should be made to how people are officially classified, switching from province of ancestral origin to place of birth, which would help boost national solidarity.
The recommendation was adopted by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government and the policy has remained in place since, as can be seen on Taiwanese ID cards, he said, quoting Soong.
The story shows how dedicated Koo was to fostering unity across ideological and political divides in Taiwan, he said.
Lin also recounted his own anecdote about Koo.
Koo worked to maintain the nation’s unofficial ties with Tokyo and once told Shinzo Abe before he became Japanese prime minister that Japan would lose its global leadership and be forced to remilitarize if Taiwan became part of China, Lin said.
Abe told Koo that he was in complete agreement, Lin said.
Abe became a firm supporter of Taiwan as prime minister and once declared that “a Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency,” Lin said.
Koo was an advocate for stronger relations with the US, and bringing the world’s attention to Taiwan, Lin said.
“The best way to remember Koo is to continue his mission,” he added.
Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), who visited the memorial site on Monday, signed the guestbook, writing: “History will record your lifetime of labor.”
Ker said that Koo had never given up on Taiwanese independence and the creation of a new constitution, which he deemed his life’s calling.
Koo was a supporter and mentor to many younger activists and his ideals will live on, Ker added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS