The DPP’s first president, who ended 55 years of KMT rule and was jailed for corruption after leaving office
Born in 1950 to a poor tenant-farming family in Guantian, Tainan County, he became Taiwan’s youngest lawyer while studying at National Taiwan University. Defending the Kaohsiung Incident defendants in 1980 drew him into the Tangwai movement, and in 1986 he served eight months in prison on a libel conviction. A founder of the Democratic Progressive Party, he served in the Legislative Yuan and in 1994 became the first DPP mayor of Taipei. Elected president in 2000 amid a KMT split, he brought about the first peaceful transfer of power, pledged the Four Noes and One Without, and was narrowly re-elected in 2004; he twice also chaired the DPP. Arrested for corruption after leaving office in 2008, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, later reduced to 20 years, and released on medical parole in 2015.
Also known as: A-Bian · Chen Shuibian
Activities and affiliations
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1986–2008
Political and party leadership
- Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party2002–2004
- Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party2007–2008
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1989–1994
Republic of China state institutionsMember of the Legislative Yuan
Legislature and state representation -
1994–1998
Republic of China state institutionsMayor of Taipei
Government and administration -
2000–2008
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Republic of ChinaHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership -
2013–
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1974Graduated in law from National Taiwan University
- 1980Defended the Kaohsiung Incident defendants
- 1981–1985Member of the Taipei City Council
- 1986.05–1987Imprisoned in Tucheng on a libel conviction
- 1986Founding member of the Democratic Progressive Party
- 1989–1994Member of the Legislative Yuan
- 1994.12–1998.12Mayor of Taipei
- 2000.05.20–2008.05.20President
- 2002–2004Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
- 2007.10–2008.01Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
- 2008.11Arrested on corruption charges
- 2015.01Released on medical parole