TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan High Court (台灣高等法院) heard a case against Yin Changliang (殷長亮), a Chinese national, on Wednesday (Jan. 14). Yin pleaded guilty to charges of importing and selling paintings from North Korea's Mansudae Art Studio (萬壽臺創作社) and requested a lighter sentence with probation. The court has scheduled a verdict for Feb. 4.
Yin admitted to earning a profit margin of approximately 30% through speculative buying and selling, unaware that the United Nations Security Council had sanctioned the Mansudae Art Studio in 2017. During the hearing, he claimed ownership of only a few confiscated paintings, with most belonging to Chinese consignors. Yin also stated he collected six certificates from the studio without understanding Korean.
Yin explained that his mother runs Changliang Gallery (長亮畫廊) in Kaohsiung's Gushan District (鼓山區), and both share a passion for art. Their contact with North Korea was limited to a tour arranged through a Beijing travel agency. Yin came to Taiwan under the pretense of visiting relatives to care for his ailing mother, while his daughter, who had initially visited Taiwan with him, had returned to China.
Yin's defense argued that his actions lacked malicious intent and were indirect, contrasting them with direct sales of oil to North Korea, which carry greater severity. The prosecutor contended that, as a Chinese national, Yin should not face deportation but be dealt with under the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸關係條例). The court concluded the hearing by announcing the date of the verdict.
