Wu Shu-chen
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| Wu Shu-chen 吳淑珍 |
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 Wu participating in the Republic of China legislative election on January 12, 2008 |
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First Lady of the Republic of China
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| In office May 20, 2000 – May 20, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Tseng Wen-hui |
| Succeeded by | Christine Chow Ma |
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| Born | July 11, 1953 Madou, Tainan County, Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Nationality | Taiwanese |
| Spouse | Chen Shui-bian |
| Occupation | Homemaker, First Lady of the Republic of China |
Wu Shu-chen or Wu Shu-jen (traditional Chinese: 吳淑珍; Pinyin: Wú Shūzhēn; born July 11, 1953) is the wife of former President Chen Shui-bian of the Republic of China. She was born in Madou, Tainan County, to a wealthy doctor's family.
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[edit] Marriage
Wu studied at Madou High School and later attended National Chung Hsing University. During this time, she became better acquainted with her high school classmate Chen Shui-bian, whom she would later marry.
On February 20, 1975, she married Chen Shui-bian in Taipei. Professor Weng YueSheng, Chen Shui-bian's academic advisor at the time, served as the marriage witness.
[edit] Alleged Accident
On November 18, 1985, while with her husband on a trip to thank supporters after he lost the Tainan County mayoral election, a scratch-built farm vehicle ran over her three times. The driver, Chang Jong Ts'ai (zh:張榮財), was a laborer known to local people as a supporter of Chen. At the time of the incident, Chang was beaten by one of Chen's campaign staff. Due to the seriousness of the accident, Chang was also imprisoned for a month. Chen later dropped the charge against him and accepted Chang's apology. This incident left Wu paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
Since Wu's ordeal, Chen and his supporters have often directly or indirectly referred to Chang as a hitman possibly hired by the Kuomintang to commit a political assassination, as occurred during the martial-law era against the KMT's opponents. Even today, there is some controversy as to who was responsible for the episode, if it was an accident or an intentional attack.
[edit] Member of the Legislature
In 1986, Chen Shui-bian was imprisoned because of a document in the Formosa Magazine, in which he libelled the Kuomintang. Wu Shu-chen represented her husband in the election into the Republic of China's Legislative Yuan. She was elected as the seventh of eight of the available seats. When Chen Shui-bian left prison, he became a special assistant to her.
Upon leaving the Legislative Yuan, she decided to not run for public office again, and instead, focus on the role of being a politician's wife.
[edit] Controversies as the First Lady
Compared with Taiwanese first ladies of the past, she is a much more controversial figure. Her image in turn negatively influences the way some Taiwanese people view Chen Shui-bian. Two of the notable reasons for the controversy are: insider trading (for which she received disciplinary correction from the Control Yuan), and a dispute over her stock rights with SOGO department store.
[edit] Scandals
Wu's son in law, Chao Chien-ming was taken into custody by the Taipei District Attorney on charges of insider trading and embezzlement. He is expected to remain in custody until charges are filed. Chen Shui-bian's daughter, the wife of Chao Chien-ming wrote to the President (her own father) asking him to help free her husband. So far, the President has maintained that he will not interfere with the investigation. However, there are already allegations that President Chen restrained the police from acting immediately. Also, there are reports that evidence may have been moved to the President's residence, right before the police raided the Chao family's home in Taipei for evidence.
Other disputes have also arisen over her treatment of Mrs. Luo, the aid/ex-neighbor who pushes her wheelchair. It is alleged that Mrs. Luo took special allowances from the government budget, sent military officers on her personal errands and used her influence to make her husband board member of a state-owned enterprise.
[edit] Indictment
On November 3, 2006, the Taipei District Attorney indicted Wu for allegedly falsifying records of expenditures from the president's national security account. In light of her indictment, the opposition Pan-Blue Coalition parties have renewed calls to impeach Chen, and the Taiwan Solidarity Union, a party that is often aligned with Chen's Democratic Progressive Party, has indicated that this time it will support the impeachment.
Wu is the first sitting First Lady to face criminal charges in the history of the Republic of China. The president is immune from all indictments and prosecutions while his term is effective.
