After leaving office, Chen Shui-bian was jailed for corruption.
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history
Chen's 2000 victory ended more than 50 years of uninterrupted KMT rule in Taiwan. His two terms were marked by pro-independence rhetoric, the 2004 assassination-attempt-eve election, and bitter relations with Beijing. In 2009 he was sentenced to life (later reduced) for money laundering and bribery.
culture
His nickname '阿扁' (A-Bian) became shorthand for DPP-era populism. The surname reading in Mandarin is Chén, but Taiwan typically romanizes his name using the older Wade-Giles 'Chen Shui-bian'.
