Justin Huang

Justin Huang (Chinese: 黃健庭; pinyin: Huáng Jiàntíng; born November 6, 1959) is a Taiwanese politician. Like his father Huang Ching-fong, Justin Huang joined the Kuomintang. He was a member of the National Assembly from 1996 to 2000. Huang was first elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2001. He served two full terms on the Legislative Yuan, and was reelected to a third in 2008. Huang stepped as a legislator in 2009 to run for Taitung County Magistrate. After two terms as county magistrate, Huang left office in 2018.

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Huang.

Justin Huang Huang Chien-ting
黃健庭
Magistrate of Taitung County
In office 20 December 2009 – 25 December 2018
Deputy	Chen Chin-hu (陳金虎)[1]
Preceded by	Kuang Li-chen
Succeeded by	Rao Ching-ling
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 1 February 2002 – 15 October 2009
Preceded by	Hsu Ching-yuan
Succeeded by	Lai Kun-cheng
Constituency	Taitung County
Member of the National Assembly
In office 20 May 1996 – 19 May 2000
Constituency	Taitung County
Personal details
Born	(1959-11-06) 6 November 1959 Taitung County, Taiwan
Nationality	Taiwan (Republic of China)
Political party	Kuomintang
Spouse(s)	Chen Lien-yen (陳怜燕)
Father	Huang Ching-fong (黃鏡峰)
Alma mater	National Chengchi University Santa Clara University

Education

Huang obtained his bachelor's degree from the Department of International Trade of National Chengchi University. In 1981 he left Taiwan to study at Santa Clara University in the United States, where he completed a Master of Business Administration.[2]

National Assembly

On March 23, 1996, Huang ran for the 1996 Republic of China National Assembly election for Taitung County Constituency in which he and two other Kuomintang (KMT) candidates won and took office on May 20, 1996.

1996 Republic of China National Assembly Taitung County Constituency Result
3 seats
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Liu Chao-chang (劉櫂漳)	Kuomintang	25,031	32.33%
2	Yang Ching-sheng (楊荊生)	Kuomintang	16,445	21.24%
3	Luo Kuo-liang (羅國樑)	New Party	3,133	4.05%
4	Chang Chia-chung (張甲長)	Democratic Progressive Party	15,064	19.46%
5	Justin Huang	Kuomintang	17,741	22.92%

Legislative Yuan

2001 legislative election

On 1 December 2001, Huang ran for the 2001 Republic of China legislative election for Taitung County Constituency in which he won and took office on 1 February 2002 succeeding legislator Hsu Ching-yuan.

2001 Republic of China Legislative Election Taitung County Constituency Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Justin Huang	Kuomintang	30,255	42.52%
2	Tien Yung-yen (田永彥)	Democratic Progressive Party	21,866	30.73%
3	Hsu Jui-kui (許瑞貴)	People First Party	16,660	23.41%
4	Chan Hsing-hsiung (詹幸雄)	Taiwan Solidarity Union	1,945	2.73%
5	Chin Chi-hong (晉志宏)	New Party	430	0.60%
Eligible voters			122,239
Total votes			72,251
Valid votes			71,156
Invalid votes			1,095
Voter turnout			59.11%

2004 legislative election

On 11 December 2004, Huang ran for the 2004 Republic of China legislative election for Taitung County Constituency in which he won again and took office on 1 February 2005.

2004 Republic of China Legislative Election Taitung County Constituency Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Justin Huang	Kuomintang	38,178	61.59%
2	Hsu Jui-kui (許瑞貴)	Democratic Progressive Party	23,551	37.99%
3	Chin Yi-fang (靳意芳)	Independent	259	0.42%
Eligible voters			121,819
Total votes			62,343
Valid votes			61,988
Invalid votes			355
Voter turnout			51.18%

2008 legislative election

On 12 January 2008, Huang ran for the 2008 Republic of China legislative election for Taitung County Constituency in which he won again.

2008 Republic of China Legislative Election Taitung County Constituency Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Hsu Chih-hsiung (許志雄)	Independent	21,080	37.01%
2	Justin Huang	Kuomintang	34,794	61.09%
3	Lin Yun-chu (劉昀筑)	Hakka Party	1,078	1.89%
Eligible voters			119,532
Total votes			58,060
Valid votes			56,952
Invalid votes			1,108
Voter turnout			48.57%

Taitung County Magistrate

2009 local election

Huang was elected Magistrate of Taitung County after winning the 2009 Republic of China local election under the Kuomintang on 5 December 2009 and assumed office on 20 December 2009.[3] Due to this winning, he had to release his seat as legislator at the Legislative Yuan of Taitung County Constituency. He was succeeded by Lai Kun-cheng (賴坤成) of the Democratic Progressive Party.

2009 Taitung County Magistrate Election Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪)	DPP	50,802	47.40%
2	Justin Huang	KMT	56,354	52.59%
Eligible voters			178,139
Total votes			110,226
Valid votes			107,156
Invalid votes			3,070
Voter turnout			61.88%

2014 local election

He was reelected for a second term in 2014 after winning the 2014 Republic of China local election on 29 November 2014 and took office on 25 December the same year.[4]

2014 Taitung County Magistrate Election Result
No.	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
1	Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪)	DPP	53,860	45.59%
2	Justin Huang	KMT	64,272	54.41%
Eligible voters			179,015
Total votes			121,406
Valid votes			118,132
Invalid votes			3,274
Voter turnout			67.82%

Administration goals

In his 'Governor's Column', Justin Huang vowed to “Clean up corruption" in Taitung politics,[5] and “Listen to the people... not lazy bureaucrats” in order to create jobs through development. In his autobiography Huang reflected: “Taitung is the first and only county to have passed the Taitung Autonomous Landscape Regulations Management Act which aims to protect the environment and develop local construction at the same time."[6] The centrepiece of this was a new resort district along the coastal countryside of Taitung.[7]

Huang made 18 trips to Mainland China[8] to promote Taitung as a potential high-volume tourism resource. He promised to “Allow tour buses to freely travel”, while at the same time “Develop culture” and “Support indigenous youth”.

Popularity

Justin Huang received generally high popularity rankings while serving as Taitung Magistrate although discrepancies between different polls are evident. Whereas Global Views Monthly polls described Justin Huang and Hualien Magistrate Fu Kun-chi as “regulars in the ‘five-star club’” [9] during the same period (2015-16), Huang ranked 10th and 8th out of 13 county magistrates in CommonWealth Magazine polls.[10] In the 2018 CommonWealth poll, “Justin Huang (黃健庭) ... ranked second, followed by then-Hualien County commissioner (magistrate) Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁)” [11][12]

Achievements as Magistrate

During his two terms as County Magistrate, Huang lists his achievements as overseeing the introduction of the Taiwan International Balloon Festival (臺灣國際熱氣球間年華) and the Taitung Open of Surfing, redeveloping the Taitung Station while building a shopping mall and movie theater at the site of the old Taitung train station, pushing for the Puyuma express train to Taitung, and resolving the Taitung incinerator crisis.[13] [14]

Pharmaceutical corruption charges

In 2008, Huang was indicted on charges about accepting bribes or using his position as legislator in relation to the Lotus (美時公司), Fisherman (派頓製藥公司), and I Sheng Pharmaceutical companies (羿盛公司) in 2004 and 2005, respectively.[15] Huang denied the accusations. He was found guilty of violating the Accountancy Act with regard to processing payments from Lotus Pharmaceutical proxies through his charity foundations, and not guilty on all counts of corruption in 2016. He was sentenced to a combined 10 months of jail, later reduced into a fine due to the application of the 'Speedy Trial Act'.[16][17]

Nomination for Control Yuan

On June 20, 2020, it was reported that Justin Huang had been President Tsai’s nomination to become vice-President of the Control Yuan - an oversight branch of government that monitors and conducts investigations into the activities of the other branches.[18] Huang’s Taitung County government was itself investigated and censured over its handling of the Miramar Resort.[19][20] 

However, a press conference scheduled to announce the nominations on June 19 was indefinitely canceled due to bipartisan criticism of the decision.[21] Huang’s own party, the KMT, threatened to expel him for accepting a DPP nomination without prior consultation, while several DPP legislatures voiced concerns, including Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬), who wrote: “It is incomprehensible that the proposed nominee for vice president is someone who has been convicted of corruption, and helped a business push through the controversial development of the Taitung Miramar Resort (美麗灣渡假村)... by flouting the law and the rights of Aboriginals.” The New Power Party cited Huang’s role in promoting Miramar Resort as well as “his alleged acceptance of fees from pharmaceutical firms when he was a legislator and other legal disputes.”[22]

In response, Huang held a press conference, where he announced: “If the KMT doesn’t support my nomination, I will withdraw from the party.” He then thanked President Tsai for her trust in him, saying he sought the position because “the control yuan exercises independent power beyond all party affiliations, and this is a role where I could do something for the nation and for society.”[23] Following continued opposition, the next day Huang announced he had decided to withdraw from the nomination.[24]

Personal life

Huang is the son of former Taitung County Magistrate and KMT Internal Affairs Central Commissioner, Huang Ching-fong (黃鏡峰).[25]

In 1987, Justin Huang married Chen Lien-yen (陳怜燕). As a couple, they are prominent members of the Taiwan Christian Community. Chen introduced Huang to Christianity when they met while studying together at Santa Clara University in the 1980s. Huang was baptized by Top Church Pastor, Chang Mao-song (張茂松).[26][27][28][29][30][31]

Huang is also the Director of the Taitung County Young Workers’ Association, as well as being the founder and chairman of the Healthy Families Cultural and Educational Foundation, and the Taitung Student Parent Foundation.

References

1. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201808110017.aspx
2. https://www.ly.gov.tw/EngPages/List.aspx?nodeid=11736
3. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201411290035.aspx
4. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201411290035.aspx
5. The Research of the influence for Local construction By the competes of Local Factions In Taitung County 台東縣地方派系競合對地方建設影響之研究. Patrick.s.lo 羅紹平 （2007）
6. Huang, Justin (2014). Dare to be different: The growing story of Justin Huang and Taitung 勇敢不一樣 - 黃健庭與台東的成長故事. Taiwan: Commonwealth Publishing. p. 176. ISBN 9789863205296.
7. Resort project returned to drawing board. Taipei Times. (2018-03-07)
8. Taitung County Government Overseas Business Trips Report System 台東縣政府公務出國報告專區
9. Taipei Times, Taipei mayor voted least popular local leader: poll, May 13, 2016
10. Focus Taiwan, Lienchang, Kinmen lead local popularity polls, Sep 13, 2016
11. Taipei Times, Ko tops national approval rating, Sep 13, 2018
12. Taipei Times, Fu loses post as conviction upheld, Sep 13, 2018
13. Taipei Times, Taitung incumbent proud of achievements in office, Oct 19, 2014
14. Asia Today, Using tourism to save the economy, Sep 20, 2017
15. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201411290035.aspx
16. United Daily News, Justin Huang in 12-year pharmaceutical case, 2018
17. Taipei Times, DPP, groups decry lack of action in Taitung graft case, 2014
18. "Control Yuan nominee sparks furor - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
19. News, Taiwan. "Control Yuan urged to probe Miramar Resort pr..." Taiwan News. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
20. "Control Yuan report on Taitung government's handing of Miramar Resort development". Dec 14, 2016.
21. "Control Yuan nominee sparks furor - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
22. "Control Yuan nominee sparks furor - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
23. Uproar meets selection of former Taitung commissioner Justin Huang for Control Yuan, retrieved 2020-06-20, timestamp 2:00
24. 聲明, retrieved 2020-06-20
25. KMT’s Justin Huang alleged to hold US citizenship. Taipei Times (2014-02-16). Retrieved on 2014-02-23.
26. https://topchurch.net/
27. ET Today, Christian Pastor: Brother, you have to stand up for the people of Taiwan, June 4, 2018
28. Chinese Christian Tribune, Ting Shou-chung shares 18-year-old Bethlehem bible experience, Sep 10, 2013
29. Focus Taiwan: Rainbow Avenue - Discussion of homosexuality in Taiwan Discovery documentary. (2016)
30. Top Church video, Huang addresses congregation with Pastor Chang
31. Huang, Justin (2014). Dare to be different: The growing story of Justin Huang and Taitung 勇敢不一樣 - 黃健庭與台東的成長故事. Taiwan: Commonwealth Publishing Co., Ltd. p. 248. ISBN 978-986-320-529-6.

External links

• Justin Huang on Facebook

Political offices
Preceded by Kuang Li-chen	Magistrate of Taitung County 2009–2018	Succeeded by Rao Ching-ling