Chang Chun-hsiung
Native name張俊雄
OfficeSenior Advisor to the President
Term start9 November 2016
Term end27 September 2025
PresidentTsai Ing-wen
Lai Ching-te
Term start 11 February 2002
Term end 119 May 2004
President 1Chen Shui-bian
Order 214th & 18th
Office 2Premier of the Republic of China
President 2Chen Shui-bian
Term start 221 May 2007
Term end 220 May 2008
1blankname 2Vice Premier
1namedata 2Chiou I-jen
Himself (acting)
Predecessor 2Su Tseng-chang
Successor 2Liu Chao-shiuan
President 3Chen Shui-bian
Term start 36 October 2000
Term end 31 February 2002
Vice premier 3Lai In-jaw
Predecessor 3Tang Fei
Successor 3Yu Shyi-kun
Office 417th Vice Premier of the Republic of China
Term label 4Acting
Term start 46 May 2008
Term end 420 May 2008
Premier 4Himself
Predecessor 4Chiou I-jen
Successor 4Paul Chiu
Term start 527 July 2000
Term end 56 October 2000
Premier 5Tang Fei
Predecessor 5Yu Shyi-kun
Successor 5Lai In-jaw
Office 62nd Chairperson of the Strait Exchange Foundation
Term start 610 June 2005
Term end 621 May 2007
Predecessor 6Koo Chen-fu
Johnnason Liu (acting)
Successor 6Hung Chi-chang
Order 79th
Office 7Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party
Term start 720 March 2002
Term end 71 February 2005
1blankname 7Chairman
1namedata 7Chen Shui-bian
Predecessor 7Wu Nai-ren
Successor 7Lee I-yang
Office 818th Secretary-General to the President
Term start 820 May 2000
Term end 81 August 2000
President 8Chen Shui-bian
Predecessor 8Ting Mao-shih
Successor 8Yu Shyi-kun
Office 9Member of the Legislative Yuan
Term start 91 February 2005
Term end 91 May 2007
Constituency 9Party-list
Term start 101 February 1984
Term end 1020 May 2000
Constituency 10Kaohsiung
Birth date23 March 1938
Birth placeKagi City, Tainan Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
Death date27 September 2025 (aged 87)
Death placeKaohsiung, Taiwan
Spouse
PartyDemocratic Progressive Party
Education

Chang Chun-hsiung (; 23 March 1938 – 27 September 2025) was a Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the premier of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2002 and 2007 to 2008, both under Chen Shui-bian's presidency. His appointment by then-President Chen in 2000 marked the first time a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member occupied the premiership.[1]

As a founding member of the DPP, he served on its Central Committee and Central Standing Committee from 1986 to 2000.

Early life and education

Chang was born on 23 March 1938, in the city of Kagi (present-day Chiayi) during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. After graduating from National Chiayi Senior High School, he studied law at National Taiwan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree in 1960. He joined the Kuomintang in 1970, but was expelled three years later for mounting a campaign for the Taipei City Council.[2] As a lawyer, he defended the victims of the Kaohsiung Incident in 1980. From 1982 to 1986 he was President of the Kaohsiung Chapter of the YMCA. Chang later received a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from Dankook University in 2003.[3]

Political career

Chang was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1983 to 2000. As a legislator, he was Executive Director and General Convener of the DPP Caucus from 1987 to 1988, 1990, and 1998 to 1999. He was Convener of the Judiciary Committee in 1991, of the Home and Border Affairs Committee in 92, and of the Transportation and Communications Committee in 95.

In 1994, Chang stood as the Democratic Progressive Party candidate to run for the mayor of Kaohsiung, but was defeated by the Kuomintang incumbent Wu Den-yih.[4][5]

In the 2000 presidential election he was General Manager of Chen Shui-bian's campaign. In the Chen administration, he served as Secretary-General of the Office of the President in 2000, Vice Premier of the ROC in 2000 and Premier of the Republic of China from 6 October 2000 to 1 February 2002.

From 2002, he was Secretary General of the Democratic Progressive Party and a senior adviser in the Office of the President.[6]

He ran in the 2004 Legislative Yuan election as fourth on the DPP's nationwide slate and was easily elected but resigned (as he promised to do during the campaign) since the Pan-Green Coalition failed to win a majority. He also tendered his resignation as Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party to take responsibility for the defeat.

Chang was appointed the chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation in 2005 after the death of the former chairman Koo Chen-fu. With the resignation of Su Tseng-chang as Premier on 12 May 2007, President Chen Shui-bian nominated Chang to fill the post of Premier a second time effective 21 May, and Hung Chi-chang succeeded Chang as the chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation. Su's resignation and Chang's second appointment as Premier marked the sixth premier that Chen Shui-bian has appointed during his two terms as President.[7]

Personal life and death

Chang maintained a long-term marriage-like relationship with a paramour while remaining legally married to his first wife, Hsu Jui-ying. After his first term as Premier, he and Hsu divorced, and in 2007 he married his paramour (Chu A-ying) as his second wife.[8][9]

Chang died on 27 September 2025 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan at the age of 87.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Brief biography of Chang Chun-hsiung". Government Information Office | Republic of China. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
  2. ^ "Chang Chün-hung: Profile of an imprisoned editor". Taiwan Communiqué. ' (24): 18. March 1986. ISSN 1027-3999. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Who's Who in the ROC". Executive Yuan. p. 351. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. ^ Yu, Susan (9 December 2004). "KMT takes two top seats; DPP wins in Taipei". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  5. ^ Yu, Susan (4 November 1994). "Local focus in Kaohsiung debate". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  6. ^ Lin, Mei-chun (23 July 2002). "Chen clocks in as DPP chairman". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Taiwan names sixth premier in seven years". Channel NewsAsia. 14 May 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007.
  8. ^ Low, Stephanie (15 September 2002). "Public split on politicians' affairs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  9. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (11 April 2002). "Chang apologizes to his former wife". Taipei Times. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  10. ^ Wen, Kuei-hsiang & Lai, Sunny (17 September 2025). "Ex-Premier Chang Chun-hsiung dies at 87; Lai offers condolences". Central News Agency. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  11. ^ Chen, Cheng-yu & Chin, Jonathan (28 September 2025). "Former premier Chang Chun-hsiung dies aged 87". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 September 2025.