Freddy Lim, former lawmaker and longtime frontman of metal band Chthonic, has been appointed Taiwan’s new ambassador to Finland.
His appointment brings together Lim’s twin passions for politics and heavy metal, connecting two countries with deep roots in both.
Nowhere is metal more mainstream than perhaps in Finland, which boasts the highest number of heavy metal bands per capita in the world, roughly 80 for every 100,000 people, according to the Encyclopaedia Metallum.
The genre is a national obsession, embraced across generations and woven into everyday life, even in school curriculums.
In 2006, Finland made history when Lordi became the first heavy metal band to win Eurovision with their hit “Hard Rock Hallelujah”.
Festivals like Tuska in Helsinki and Steelfest in Hyvinkää draw tens of thousands of fans and bands like HIM, Children of Bodom and Nightwish have become cultural exports.
Lim’s connection to Finland predates his diplomatic appointment. His band Chthonic, often called the “Black Sabbath of Asia”, has signed with Finnish label Spinefarm/Universal, according to music publication Theprp, and toured extensively across the country. Lim, with his band, has performed in multiple Finnish cities and even toured with acts like Ensiferum, Turisas, and Korpiklaani.
While Lim’s musical credentials have drawn significant interest internationally, his appointment stems just as much from his political and human rights record.
From 2010 to 2014, he served as the chair of Amnesty International Taiwan, participating in global human rights initiatives and working closely with counterparts in Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
He also championed transitional justice, advocating for the declassification of documents from Taiwan’s authoritarian past.
In a 2023 interview with Kulturaustausch, he reflected on the political significance of Taiwan’s creative freedom. “Our region contains many authoritarian regimes and the cultural sphere is strongly influenced by this conservative and oppressed culture,” he said. “But in Taiwan, it’s possible [to create freely], which is why the musical scene flourishes and is also very diverse.”
He went on to found the New Power Party in January 2015 and served two terms in Taiwan’s legislature between 2016 and 2024, becoming the first heavy metal musician in the world to enter a national parliament.
Through his legislative career, Lim championed landmark legislation that made Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, pushed for stronger protections for indigenous rights and advocated for humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“Working with Finnish music industry partners for a long time has always made me have a special affection for this country,” Lim said in a Facebook post on Monday.
“I’ll continue to work on these solid foundations to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between Finland and Taiwan, to benefit the two peoples, and to gain stronger support from Finland for Taiwan. There is no magic in diplomacy, just going all out and moving forward.”
