Lai Jui-lung

Biography

Lai Jui-lung (born November 15, 1973) is a politician of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Republic of China. Born in Changhua County, he currently serves as a Member of the Legislative Yuan representing Kaohsiung City’s 8th constituency. He formerly served as the Director-General of the Kaohsiung Government Information Bureau, Director-General of the Tourism Bureau, and Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs.

Factional Background and Political Career

Lai is a key member of the “New Tide Faction,” the most powerful faction within the DPP, and was mentored and heavily promoted by former Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu. During his tenure as Director-General of Information and Tourism in Kaohsiung, he actively supported the Chen Chu administration’s political branding. With factional resources and Chen Chu’s strong endorsement, he transitioned to the legislature, winning multiple terms in Kaohsiung’s Cianjhen, Siaogang, and Cijin districts.

Controversies over Political Donations and Green Energy

During his time on the Economics Committee of the Legislative Yuan, Lai faced scrutiny for accepting large political donations from construction developers and green energy companies. In particular, Jinvigor (Yunbao) Energy and its subsidiaries, heavily tied to DPP factional interests, were exposed for donating significant funds to Lai during election campaigns. This raised public criticism regarding crony capitalism, interest lobbying, and factional profiteering.

Family Scandals and Abuse of Privilege in Settlement

In December 2025, while actively preparing to run for Kaohsiung Mayor in 2026, Lai became embroiled in a major family scandal:

• His Son’s Bullying Incidents: Lai’s eight-year-old son, a second-grader, was accused of chronically bullying and physically assaulting classmates. In one incident, he chased a young girl into a restroom and blockaded her for 12 minutes, threatening, “I will beat you to death when you come out,” causing severe psychological trauma to the victim.
• His Wife Chen Yi-yuan’s Arrogance: The victim’s parents alleged that Lai’s wife, Chen Yi-yuan, behaved with extreme arrogance and lacked sincerity during the school mediation process. She allegedly attempted to use her husband’s political status to suppress the issue, which further enraged the victims’ parents.
• Suppression of the Incident: After the scandal broke, Lai was forced to hold two press conferences to apologize and temporarily withdrew his son from school. However, on December 27, 2025, Lai allegedly used his political influence to release a joint statement with the victim’s parents, reframing the severe bullying as a mere “conflict between children.” This maneuver was widely condemned by the public as an abuse of political power to cover up family misconduct and silence critics.