The curtains fell one final time for Ko Chun-hsiung (柯俊雄), the star of a series of early films aimed at galvanizing patriotic sentiments, who died of cancer at the age of 70 on Sunday.
Born in Kaohsiung on Jan. 15, 1945, Ko’s acting career spanned half a century, highlighted first by his leading roles in adaptations of best-selling romantic novels and then by his portrayal of military heroes in the Second Sino-Japanese War.
In 1967, he became the first Taiwanese to win the best actor award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival for his role in Lonely Seventeen (寂寞的十七歲). He won in the same category at the festival seven years later.
Photo: Wang Wen-lin, Taipei Times
Ko also won Taiwan’s Golden Horse Award for best actor in 1979 and 1999 for his roles in A Teacher of Great Soldiers (黃埔軍魂) and Cao Cao (一代梟雄曹操) respectively.
The era in which the films were cast was still strongly influenced by the idea that the Three Principles of the People (三民主義) would triumph and unite China, with Ko starring in films seeking to promote nationalism in the roles of army commanders that were not only patriotic, but also loyal to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
In 1974, Ko played the role of general Chang Tzu-chung (張自忠) in the film The Everlasting Glory (英烈千秋), which depicted the 1940 Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang during the Second Sino-Japanese War, winning him his second best leading male actor award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival that year.
Ko went on to win a Golden Horse Award for his portrayal of colonel Hsieh Chin-yuan (謝晉元) in Eight Hundred Heroes (八百壯士) in 1976, as well as receiving the Golden Horse best film award for his role in the 1975 film Victory (梅花).
However, Ko did not receive the Golden Horse Award for best male lead until 1978, when he starred in A Teacher of Great Soldiers.
When the reception to Central Motion Pictures’ patriotic movies waned in the late 1980s, Ko sought other roles and found a niche in the antihero role, winning the best actor award for his portrayal of Eastern Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao (曹操) in the 1999 film of the same name.
Ko developed an interest in politics in the 1990s and, due to having a British-Hong Kong passport, participated in a 1996 People’s Republic of China-convened provisional legislative council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
“The Republic of China should have someone to represent its opinion,” Ko said at the event, despite not being elected to the council.
In 2004, Ko was elected to the legislature as a KMT candidate. He ran for a second term in 2008 as a Taiwan Farmers’ Party candidate, but lost the election and exited the political scene.
Ko was married twice. In 1970, he tied the knot with actress Chang Mei-yao (張美瑤), with whom he had two daughters. Their marriage ended in 2004 after Ko had an affair with clothing designer Tsai Ching-hua (蔡青樺), whom he met on the set of a film. Ko and Tsai married in 2005 and had a son and a daughter.
In 2012, after learning of the death of his ex-wife, Ko broke down in tears and apologized for the mistakes he had made during their marriage, saying: “It was all my fault.”
Ko was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last year and underwent chemotherapy in May, sources said, adding that his condition remained unstable until he passed away on Sunday night.
Additional reporting by CNA
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
REGIONAL PEACE: The US is supporting Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities by providing the nation with defensive arms and services, as it aims to maintain cross-strait stability The US on Friday reiterated its support for Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in a statement affirming its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. The White House said that Washington has supported Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through a range of security assistance authorities and resources, including the first-ever use of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Taiwan, as well as International Military Education and Training (IMET). US President Joe Biden had identified the Indo-Pacific as the critical region for the future of the US and the world, it said. “In pursuit of regional peace, security and stability, we have reinvested in our defense
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
RSS