Taipei / Taoyuan, Taiwan — December 2025
A man who had been legally declared dead for nearly two decades was confirmed alive after collapsing on a street in Taipei earlier this year, prompting the court to revoke his death declaration.
According to authorities, the man, identified by the surname Li, was found unconscious on March 7 in Taipei’s Nangang District. He was reported by passersby and taken to Taipei City Hospital’s Zhongxiao Branch for medical treatment. After his condition stabilized and he was discharged, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Social Welfare arranged for his temporary placement in a long-term care facility.
At the time he was found, Li was bedridden, disoriented, and unable to identify himself. Police conducted facial recognition and fingerprint analysis, which confirmed his identity. Further checks revealed that Li had been declared dead by court order in 2007, making him a so-called “living dead” under the law.
To restore Li’s eligibility for National Health Insurance coverage and social welfare benefits, the Taipei City Department of Social Welfare filed a petition with the court to annul the death declaration. The Taoyuan District Court recently ruled in favor of the request, officially canceling the 2007 declaration of death.
Court documents showed that Li had gone missing many years earlier, and his family had been unable to contact him. As a result, relatives petitioned the court for a death declaration, which ruled that Li was presumed to have died at noon on October 25, 1986, after being missing for seven years.
However, Li’s reappearance this year overturned that legal presumption. Police confirmed his identity through forensic methods and provided photographs to family members, but relatives reportedly declined to assist with his care or legal status. Li is currently residing in a long-term care facility, with related expenses covered by the Taipei City Department of Social Welfare.
In its ruling, the Taoyuan District Court stated that since Li is clearly alive, the prior death declaration no longer has legal basis and must be revoked. The decision allows Li to regain his legal identity and access to essential healthcare and social assistance benefits.