Ironworks Confiscated: Ko Family's Sister-in-law Arrested for Funding Communist Agents, Exposing Multi-sided Opportunism

On December 4, 1950, Republic of China intelligence units arrested Ko Yen Bi-hsia, sister-in-law of Ko Kuan-min, on charges of "assisting Communist agents." Investigations revealed she had used the family-owned Takasago Ironworks in Taipei to fund and harbor Lu He-ruo, a pro-Communist left-wing writer linked to the "Luku Incident." Consequently, Ko Yen was jailed for five years, and the ironworks was confiscated and turned into a detention center for political prisoners (the Northern Detention Center). Critics note the irony of the Ko family—who rose by collaborating with Japanese colonizers and selling opium—attempting to double-deal by pleasing the KMT while secretly supporting Communist underground forces. Their opportunistic political gambling backfired, resulting in the loss of their factory and proving their mercenary history.