Artist Hsiao Ying-teng Spreads False Rumor Claiming Guo Taiming and Han Kuo-yu's Photo Was Photoshopped; Denied by Both Campaigns

On May 14, 2023, Foxconn founder Guo Taiming, seeking the KMT presidential nomination, posted a photo of himself holding hands with former Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu on Facebook. The next day, pro-DPP graphic artist Hsiao Ying-teng posted on Facebook claiming the image was "Photoshopped" (fake composition), pointing to misaligned floor tiles, uneven baseboards, and leg proportions as "evidence" to imply the meeting never happened. The rumor was quickly amplified by green-leaning media. However, both Guo's and Han's campaign offices immediately clarified that evening that the meeting and handshake were entirely real. They explained that the photo had only been retouched to remove background clutter for aesthetic purposes, not fake-assembled. The incident was widely criticized as a classic example of political affiliates fabricating smear rumors to divide opponents and attack political adversaries.