Yu Chen Yueh-ying | |
Nationality: | Empire of Japan Republic of China |
Office1: | Magistrate of Kaohsiung County |
Term Start1: | 20 December 1985 |
Term End1: | 20 December 1993 |
Predecessor1: | Tsai Ming-yao |
Successor1: | Yu Cheng-hsien |
Order2: | Member of the Legislative Yuan |
Constituency2: | Kaohsiung |
Term Start2: | 1 February 1984 |
Term End2: | 20 December 1985 |
Predecessor2: | Huang Yu Hsiu-luan |
Birth Date: | 2 September 1926 |
Birth Place: | Takao Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan (today Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan) |
Death Place: | Niaosong, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
Party: | Democratic Progressive Party |
Children: | Yu Lin-ya, Yu Jane-daw, Yu Cheng-hsien |
Yu Chen Yueh-ying (; 2 September 1926 – 26 May 2014) was a Taiwanese politician, judge and matriarch of the Yu family, a political family who dominated politics in the former Kaohsiung County for more than thirty years.[1] (Kaohsiung County was merged with Kaohsiung City on December 25, 2010, to form a special municipality, Kaohsiung). Her six children include former Interior Minister Yu Cheng-hsien, who headed the ministry from 2002 to 2004.[2] [3]
Chen Yueh-ying was the youngest of eleven children born to factory owner Chen Tsai-hsing. She married Yu Jui-yen at the suggestion of a matchmaker.[4] Yu Chen's father-in-law, Yu Teng-fa, served as the Commissioner of Kaohsiung County from 1960 until 1963.[1]
In 1963, Yu Chen entered politics by running as a candidate for the Taiwan Provincial Council at the behest of Yu Teng-fa.[5] She served on the Provincial Council for four terms.[1]
In 1981, Yu Chen ran for Kaohsiung County magistrate, but lost by Tsai Ming-yao of the Kuomintang (KMT) by just over 3,000 votes.[1] [2] [3] She was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1982.[1] [2] In 1985, Yu Chen ran for Kaohsiung County commissioner a second time and defeated incumbent commissioner Tsai Ming-yao in a rematch.[1] [2] She became the first female county commissioner in 1987, following the end of martial law in Taiwan.[2] Yu Chen served as county commissioner for two terms until 1993.[1]
Her son, Yu Cheng-hsien, succeeded her as Kaohsiung County Commissioner for two consecutive, four year terms.[1] [2] He then served as Taiwan's Interior Minister from 2002 to 2004 as a member of Democratic Progressive Party.
Yu Chen was later named an adviser to President Chen Shui-bian.[6] [7]
She died at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung on May 26, 2014, at the age of 87.[1] Her funeral was held in the Yu family's hometown of Ciaotou District.[1]