▁party ' s ▁official ▁journal . ▁The ▁role ▁Lee ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁lif ting ▁of ▁mart ial ▁law ▁in ▁Taiwan ▁and ▁subsequent ▁re forms ▁to ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁led ▁to ▁assembly ▁members ▁character izing ▁Lee ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Gu ards . ▁ ▁Prem iers hip ▁ ▁Chi ang ▁Ch ing - ku o ▁died ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁Vice ▁President ▁Lee ▁T eng - hui ▁immediately ▁stepped ▁in ▁and ▁asc ended ▁to ▁the ▁presiden cy . ▁ ▁The ▁" Pal ace ▁F action " ▁of ▁the ▁K MT , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁conserv ative ▁main land ers ▁head ed ▁by ▁General ▁H au ▁Pe i - ts un , ▁Premier ▁Yu ▁Ku o - h wa , ▁and ▁Lee ▁H uan ▁sought ▁to ▁block ▁President ▁Lee ' s ▁acc ession ▁to ▁the ▁K MT ▁chair mans hip ▁and ▁sid eline ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁figure head . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁James ▁So ong ▁– ▁himself ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Palace ▁F action ▁– ▁who ▁quiet ed ▁the ▁hard lin ers ▁with ▁the ▁famous ▁ple a ▁" Each ▁day ▁of ▁delay ▁is ▁a ▁day ▁of ▁dis res pect ▁to ▁Ch ing - ku o ," ▁Lee ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁asc end ▁to ▁the ▁chair mans hip ▁un ob struct ed . ▁At ▁the ▁K MT ▁party ▁con gress ▁of ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Lee ▁named ▁ 3 1 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee , ▁ 1 6 ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁native