TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's former Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪) died Monday (March 24) at Shin Kong Hospital (新光醫院) following complications from an aortic dissection. Hospital staff disconnected life support measures around 11 a.m., concluding weeks of medical intervention for the controversial political figure. Kuo, whose career in public service spanned decades and weathered significant legal challenges, was 69 years old when she succumbed to the severe cardiovascular condition that affects the body's main artery.
Medical personnel rushed Kuo to the emergency room last Sunday evening as her condition rapidly deteriorated. Doctors immediately performed complex surgical procedures and implemented extracorporeal membrane oxygenation—a sophisticated life support technology that temporarily assumes heart and lung functions—in desperate attempts to stabilize her condition. Despite these intensive interventions, hospital officials confirmed by midday Monday that medical efforts had proven futile. Citing the family's request for privacy during their period of mourning, hospital representatives declined to provide additional medical details surrounding her final hours.
Kuo's educational background reflected her intellectual capabilities and international perspective, with degrees from both the prestigious University of London and Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University (成功大學). Her professional trajectory included leadership of several high-profile organizations critical to Taiwan's development and disaster response infrastructure. Before her ministerial appointment, she served as chairperson of the China Aviation Development Foundation (中華航空事業發展基金會), overseeing strategic initiatives in Taiwan's aviation sector. Perhaps most notably, she led the Executive Yuan's "921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Reconstruction Promotion Committee" (九二一震災災後重建推動委員會), coordinating recovery efforts following one of Taiwan's most devastating natural disasters.
During her tenure as transportation minister beginning in 2006, Kuo presided over the completion of the landmark 12.9-kilometer Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道), an engineering achievement that dramatically improved connectivity between Taiwan's northern urban centers and the eastern regions of Yilan and Hualien. Her ministerial career concluded in controversy surrounding the implementation of Taiwan's electronic toll collection (ETC) system, foreshadowing more serious legal challenges. In January 2014, Kuo began serving a prison sentence after being convicted on bribery charges, though she received compassionate release in 2016 due to health concerns. Her legal battle continued until her final months, with Kuo appearing in court alongside her attorney as recently as October to pursue a retrial of her case.
