Taiwanese political cartoonist and writer Kuei-Yu Lin (林奎佑), known by his pseudonym, Yufu (魚夫), died of liver cancer on Monday at the age of 65, his family said on social media.
Lin passed away peacefully surrounded by family, according to a post on his Facebook fan page, which also expressed gratitude for people’s concern.
Lin was the first cartoonist ever to draw a political cartoon of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), doing so after martial law was lifted, and was seen as a pioneer of political commentary.
Photo: Liu Wan-chun, Taipei Times
He also worked as a news editor, hosted radio and television shows, led an animation company and founded an online television channel.
Lin once said he would like the epitaph on his gravestone to read “cartoonist.”
He began publishing political cartoons in a political commentary magazine in the 1980s, which propelled him into the limelight.
He became known for challenging the restrictions on freedom of speech before martial law was lifted in Taiwan in 1987.
Lin once said on his Facebook page that he had to sneak around to hand over his cartoons to be featured in Taiwan independence activist Deng Nan-jung’s (鄭南榕) magazine, for fear of being arrested.
However, over the past few years, Lin mainly focused his sketches on Taiwan’s food and scenery.
He said in a Facebook post that he stopped drawing political cartoons, because young people in Taiwan are “awakening” and many have better drawing skills than him.
“My historic role has come to an end. Now my focus is back on artistic creations,” he said at the time.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) expressed his grief at hearing about Lin’s passing and extended his condolences to his family. Huang also offered to provide support regarding funeral arrangements.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) yesterday lauded Lin’s life as a media professional, political commentator, cartoonist and writer.
Lin had demonstrated his love for Taiwan’s land, folk customs and food throughout his life, Li said.
The Ministry of Culture would petition for a presidential commendation for his contributions to the nation’s culture, he said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,