He used to be a reporter and president of Gigi Lai Evening News, deputy director and editor-in-chief of Gigi Lai Evening News Department, editor-in-chief of Gigi Lai Morning News, president of Black and White Newsweek, manager of news department of preparatory office of private national television station, president of Gigi Lai Express of Australia, counselor of Executive Yuan and Ministry of Interior, executive deputy general manager of public television station, general manager of public television station and deputy director of Hakka Committee of Executive Yuan. Since June 2005, he has served as the "Chairman of the Hakka Committee of the Executive Yuan". He is currently the deputy mayor of Kaohsiung City.

Li Yongde has been engaged in journalism for about 15 years. 1987, together with Lulu, broke through the political taboo and created a precedent for covering in the mainland as a special correspondent of Independent Evening News, which aroused strong repercussions and concerns at home and abroad.