{{Short description|Taiwanese writer, public intellectual, literary critic and politician}} {{family name hatnote|Wang|lang=Chinese}} {{More citations needed|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Wang Tuoh | honorific_suffix = | image = 2008TIBE Day1 Hall1 Opening TouhWang.jpg | order1 = | office1 = Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party | term_start1 = 20 May 2008 | term_end1 = 20 May 2009 | 1blankname1 = Chairperson | 1namedata1 = Tsai Ing-wen | predecessor1 = Lee Ying-yuan | successor1 = Wu Nai-ren | order2 = | office2 = Minister of the Council for Cultural Affairs | term_start2 = 1 February 2008 | term_end2 = 19 May 2008 | deputy2 = Wu Chin-fa | predecessor2 = Wong Chin-chu | successor2 = Huang Pi-twan | office3 = Member of the Legislative Yuan | term_start3 = 1 February 1999 | term_end3 = 31 January 2008 | predecessor3 = | successor3 = George Hsieh | constituency3 = Keelung | office4 = | term_start4 = 1 February 1996 | term_end4 = 31 January 1999 | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | constituency4 = Republic of China | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|1|9|df=y}} | birth_place = Keelung, Taihoku Prefecture, Empire of Japan | death_date = {{death date and age|2016|8|9|1944|1|9|df=y}} | death_place = Taipei, Taiwan | spouse = | party = Democratic Progressive Party | native_name = {{no bold|王拓}} | education = National Taiwan Normal University (BA)<br />National Chengchi University (MA)<br />University of Iowa (PhD) }}
'''Wang Tuoh''' ({{lang-zh|c=王拓|p=Wáng Tuò|poj=Ông Thok}}; 9 January 1944 – 9 August 2016) was a Taiwanese writer, public intellectual, literary critic, and politician. He was born in {{ill|Badouzi|zh|八斗子}}, then a small fishing village near the northern port city of Keelung. His name was originally '''Wang Hung-chiu''' (王紘久).
== Education == Wang graduated from National Taiwan Normal University with a bachelor's degree in Chinese literature and earned a master's degree in the subject from National Chengchi University. He then studied literature in the United States at the University of Iowa.
== Writing career == Wang Tuoh published his first short story, ''The Hanging Tree'' in 1970, and went on to write a series of stories set in his home village of Badouzi that drew heavily on his own experiences in a small, insular village where everyone is part of a larger family that has been there for five generations. The most well-known of these stories is the novella ''Auntie Jinshui'' (金水嬸; published September 1976) which describes the story of the eponymous Auntie Jinshui. Auntie Jinshui is a street peddler who has successfully raised and educated six sons, but falls upon especially hard times after being swindled by a priest introduced to her by one of her sons. She then falls behind on her payments to her Hui (會), an informal village credit network, and finds herself gradually ostracized from her friends and family. This novella was also later made into a movie.
His novels are ''The Story of Cowbelly Harbor'' (牛肚港的故事; published 1982) and ''Taipei, Taipei!'' (台北，台北!; published 1983), both written while he was in jail as a political prisoner.
== Political career == After being freed from prison in 1984, he joined the political opposition to the ruling Kuomintang and in 1995 was elected to Taiwan's Legislative Yuan as a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member for Keelung City. Wang formed an alliance with the DPP's Formosa faction, which disbanded after its leader Hsu Hsing-liang left the party. In 2002, Wang became a member of the Justice faction.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hsu|first1=Crystal|title=Wang says DPP sticks together|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2002/02/24/0000125177|accessdate=6 March 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=24 February 2002}}</ref>
Wang was nominated by the DPP to run for Keelung City mayor in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Jewel|title=DPP won't field candidates in several year-end races|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/08/31/2003269812|work=Taipei Times|date=31 August 2005}}</ref> After contentious discussions with the Taiwan Solidarity Union, the DPP agreed to withdraw Wang's nomination to support the TSU's Chen Chien-ming.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Jewel|title=Year-end polls take shape for pan-greens|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/10/06/2003274629|accessdate=7 August 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=6 October 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Jewel|title=DPP gives up Keelung race for TSU|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/10/04/2003274386|accessdate=7 August 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=4 October 2005}}</ref> However, Wang remained on the ballot, and finished fourth in the election.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chang|first1=Rich|title=Keelung race comes down to split blue vote|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/11/30/2003282320|accessdate=7 August 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=30 November 2005}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center" |- ! colspan="7" width=620px|2005 Keelung City Mayoralty Election result |- !width=35|No. !width=180| Candidate !width=120| Party !width=75| Votes !width=49| |- |1||Chen Chien-ming||TSU||" align="right"|58,243 |align="center"| |- |2||'''Hsu Tsai-li'''||KMT||" align="right"|76,162 ||<div align="center">20px</div> |- |3||Liu Wen-hsiung||PFP||" align="right"|47,932 |align="center"| |- |4||Wang Tuoh||DPP||" align="right"|2,771 |align="center"| |- bgcolor=EEEEEE |}
Commenting on the 2007 summit between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Wang noted that their talks offered a model for negotiations between China and Taiwan held on an equal footing and based on mutual respect.<ref name = "Korea summit">{{cite news|title = Wang Tuoh says Korean summit offers inspiration|date = October 4, 2007|url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/10/04/2003381622|accessdate = January 6, 2011|newspaper = Taipei Times}}</ref> Lamenting that China refuses to recognise Taiwan as a sovereign, independent state, he urged China to support a bid for UN recognition for Taiwan also called for the removal of the 900 Chinese missiles deployed along its southeastern coast that threaten Taiwan militarily.<ref name = "Korea summit" />
After losing his seat in the legislature in January 2008, Wang was appointed chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs, a cabinet-level position.<ref>{{cite news|title = Former legislators who lost their seats recruited to Cabinet|author = Hsiu-chuan, S.|date = February 1, 2008|url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/02/01/2003399746|accessdate = January 6, 2011|newspaper = Taipei Times}}</ref> From this position, Wang pushed for substantial increases to the culture budget.<ref>{{cite news|title = Culture chief vows to push bill to help performing groups|author = Lok-sin, L.|date = February 15, 2008|url = http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/02/15/2003401316|accessdate = January 6, 2011|newspaper = Taipei Times}}</ref> In May 2008, Wang was appointed by chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen to serve as the Secretary General of the DPP. In taking on the position, Wang chose not to be paid. He helped the party out of a NT$150 million debt, while reducing its bureaucracy and infighting shortly after the 2008 elections.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Liao|first1=George|title=Writer-turned-politician Wang Tuoh has died, 72|url=http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=2964087|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=Taiwan News|date=9 August 2016|archive-date=12 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812043546/http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=2964087|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Wang died in Taipei on 9 August 2016 at the age of 72, due to complications of a heart attack.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chung|first1=Li-hua|last2=Chung|first2=Jake|title=Writer, former legislator Wang Tuoh dies at 72|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/10/2003652825|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=10 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Lu|first1=Hsin-hui|last2=Cheng|first2=Sabine|last3=Wen|first3=Kuei-hsiang|last4=Liu|first4=Claudia|last5=Hou|first5=Elaine|title=Renowned Taiwanese writer, politician Wang Tuoh dies at 72|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201608090032.aspx|accessdate=10 August 2016|agency=Central News Agency|date=9 August 2016}}</ref> His funeral was held on 6 September.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lu|first1=Hsin-hui|last2=Huang|first2=Romulo|title=President Tsai pledges to strive for cross-party cooperation|url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201609070036.aspx|accessdate=7 September 2016|agency=Central News Agency|date=7 September 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{commons category}} {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Tuoh}} Category:1944 births Category:2016 deaths Category:Taiwanese male novelists Category:Democratic Progressive Party Members of the Legislative Yuan Category:Keelung Members of the Legislative Yuan Category:Party List Members of the Legislative Yuan Category:Members of the 3rd Legislative Yuan Category:Members of the 4th Legislative Yuan Category:Members of the 5th Legislative Yuan Category:Members of the 6th Legislative Yuan Category:National Taiwan Normal University alumni Category:National Chengchi University alumni Category:International Writing Program alumni Category:Taiwanese male short story writers Category:20th-century Taiwanese short story writers Category:20th-century Taiwanese novelists Category:21st-century novelists Category:Prisoners and detainees of Taiwan Category:21st-century short story writers Category:Ministers of culture of Taiwan Category:20th-century Taiwanese male writers Category:21st-century male writers