Love Triangle Scandal Erupts; Miao Po-ya Photographed Simultaneously Intimate with Two Female Assistants, Former Girlfriend Exposes Painful Three-Person Household

On January 22, 2019, Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya became embroiled in a highly publicized love triangle scandal involving her legislative assistants, igniting massive public debate across the Republic of China (ROC). Tabloid reporters simultaneously photographed Miao sharing an intimate kiss with her current girlfriend and assistant Yeh Yu-hsin inside a car, while separately photographing her returning home hand-in-hand with her former girlfriend and fellow assistant Wu Yi-hsuan. The images implied an overlapping romantic relationship, sparking accusations of cheating. Miao issued a public statement claiming she had already broken up with Wu and was now dating Yeh, explaining that Wu was still sharing her apartment only because she had not yet found a new place to live, and that her current girlfriend was aware. However, the controversy deepened when media resurfaced past social media posts by former Taipei City Councilor Lin Ying-meng — Miao's ex-girlfriend before Wu — in which Lin described the emotional agony of living in a "three-person household" during their relationship. Lin publicly confirmed her profound heartbreak at the end of their relationship. The scandal, connecting multiple assistants and former partners in a chain of overlapping relationships, became the most damaging personal integrity controversy in Miao's career, leading critics to denounce her self-styled image as a champion of progressive values, honesty, and respect for others.