Huang An is a 53-year-old Chinese vocalist, whose career was flagging, before he became the center of international media attention, following his involvement with the Tzuyu controversy.
Huang, who is fervently outspoken against Taiwanese independence from mainland governance, incited the scandal through a barrage of Weibo posts where he released the findings of his purported investigation of the 16-year-old K-pop idol.
Quartz, an international business and political outlet, published an article on January 20, which examined the claims delivered by Huang and explored the early part of his career, which was launched in his native country, Taiwan.
In the report titled "Why a washed-up pop star is suddenly the most hated man in Taiwan," writer Josh Horowitz dissects the events which led to the Tzuyu scandal, along with its subsequent effects on pan-Asian politics and Korean pop.
Horowitz notes that Taiwanese citizens are outraged by Huang and his actions because he was born in Hsinchu, an area that is approximately 50 miles from Taipei.
Huang debuted in Taiwan and performed songs in the aboriginal or native language of Taiwanese descendants. Hokkien, the predominant dialect spoken by 70 percent of Taiwanese citizens, was banned from use in the nation, until mainland Chinese martial law was lifted in 1987.
"After sending out several posts lambasting Chou for carrying a Taiwan flag during a live performance, Huang announced he 'reported' her to authorities at Sina Weibo," said Horowitz, in the Quartz article. "The social network lets users report instances of 'harmful information'-which can be interpreted to mean any messages that conflict with Communist Party politics- by pressing a button to contact a special department at the social network."
Horowitz notes that this action may not have directly incited allegations of nationalism against Tzuyu, but likely compounded the situation. Prior to contacting Sina Weibo, Huang had posted an onslaught of messages, where he decried Tzuyu as a separitist supporter.
While he was once known for his music career, Huang is now recognized for his harassment of Taiwanese activists and entertainers, including Show Luo, who was recently drawn into the "one-China" controversy.
The roots of his extremist views regarding Taiwan and mainland Chinese policies remain unknown, but Taiwanese citizens are not amused by his actions.
According to Quartz, a Taiwan-based karaoke company has removed songs performed by Huang, following the videotaped apology issued by Tzuyu.
In addition to the boycott imposed by the karaoke company, Huang could face legal ramifications, particularly from JYP Entertainment, after the agency was forced to halt mainland Chinese promotions, following the scandal.
On January 20, Huang removed 4,900 posts from his Weibo account, citing his privacy as a motivating factor for his actions.
The Tzuyu flag scandal, which came to light a couple days before the recent Taiwanese elections, is said to have drawn thousands of young people to the polls and may have helped bolster numbers for now President-elect Tsai Ing-wen.
