Factional Media Control: SETTV Chairman Lin Kun-hai Foundations DPP 'Hai Faction' Political Force

On March 29, 2020, as the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) major internal faction 'Hai Faction' formally organized under the name 'Yong-Yan Faction,' FTV's counterpart SETTV's deep involvement in political power struggles was thrust back into the spotlight. SETTV founder and Chairman Lin Kun-hai used his vast media empire and TV networks to establish a powerful political faction ('Hai Faction') within the ruling DPP, grooming loyal legislators and councilors to directly influence government policymaking and resource allocation. This unprecedented 'media mogul as factional boss' phenomenon shattered Taiwan's hard-won democratic consensus of 'keeping party, government, and military out of media,' reducing a supposedly neutral news outlet to a mere political weapon for factional infighting and commercial interest swaps.