Taiwan’s Other Name

Taiwan has gone through a bitter time in international society similar to that of Hong Gil-dong, who couldn’t call his father “Father” or his brother “Brother.” This is because of China’s principle of “One China.”

The Republic of China was the official name of Taiwan in 1912 when the country was first founded. This name Taiwan was used when the then-Nationalist Party government evacuated to the island during the 1949 Communist Revolution.

During the Cold War, it was also called “Free China.”

Taiwan is currently listed under the name "Chinese Taipei” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This naming convention comes from China’s opposition to the usage of the name “Republic of China” or “Taiwan.” During the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Taiwan won two gold medals for the first time in its history, but the Taiwan Olympic Committee’s flag went up instead of the country’s flag.

When Taiwan restored unofficial diplomatic relations with Korea in 1993, it wished to use the name “Republic of China Mission in South Korea,” but Korea, being aware of China, disagreed to it, and both settled on using the name “Taipei Mission in South Korea.”

The Korean press generally uses the name “Taiwan Mission in South Korea” to avoid confusing readers.