Cheng Yu-cheng

Cheng was born on 12 January 1946.^[1] His father Cheng Chien-bang was active in the tangwai movement.^[2] The younger Cheng studied at the National Taipei University of Technology.^[3] Cheng Yu-cheng died of a heart attack at National Taiwan University Hospital on 7 January 2025, at the age of 78.^[4][5]

Cheng was raised in what became Xinzhuang District of New Taipei. He began his political career as leader of the area in 1977, before taking a seat on the Legislative Yuan in 1981. He won a second term in 1983, but lost the 1986 elections. Shortly thereafter, Cheng joined the Democratic Progressive Party. He returned to the legislature in 1990 as a DPP representative. Cheng subsequently lost a string of elections until regaining his seat in 2001.^[6][7] In August 2002, Cheng flew to the United States, after he and his legislative aide Sophie Wang had reportedly married in July.^[8] He retained former legislative colleague Chiu Chang as his legal representative while seeking a divorce from his wife Lu Pei-ying.^[9] However, the divorce was never finalized.^[10] Cheng kept his position as a legislator,^[11] but left the Democratic Progressive Party in November 2002,^[12] days before he was formally expelled.^[13] Cheng then became an independent before joining the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union upon its founding in June 2004.^[14][15] He ran for the Legislative Yuan twice thereafter, in the 2004 and 2012 elections.^[16][17]