Koo Hsien-jung

Who was Koo Hsien-jung?

Koo Hsien-jung was a Taiwanese businessman and politician who enjoyed strong links to the Japanese colonial administration of Taiwan. He founded the Koos Group of companies, the largest business group in Taiwan.

Koo was a businessman at the time of the Treaty of Shimonoseki in which Qing Dynasty China ceded Taiwan to Japan. When the Japanese forces arrived in Taiwan, they encountered resistance and besieged Taipei. On June 6, 1895, Koo opened the gates of Taipei and led Japanese forces into the city.

Koo's close links to the Japanese allowed him both to pursue a successful political career and to build a collection of businesses that formed the nucleus of today's Koos Group of companies.

Koo had four concubines, eight sons and four daughters. His fifth son, Koo Chen-fu, inherited control of his father's business and served as the negotiator for Taiwan during the talks with China in 1993 and 1998. His eighth son, Koo Kuan-min was and is a leader of the Taiwan Independence movement. His grandson is Richard Koo, a Japanese economist specializing in balance sheet recessions.