The seminar concluded with a renewed appeal from participants to treat the proposed defense spending budget as a non-partisan security imperative before the mid-March deadline.

Her decision came one day after she initially indicated she would not exit the race, a stance that drew widespread criticism online and from political observers.

Political analyst and lawyer Ross Feingold explained to Kaohsiung Times that “Criminal case judgments are available online, including the judgment in Huang’s case. In other words, the judgment was available to anyone who had bothered to search the court database for Huang’s name, making it likely someone brought this to the attention of the media now in order to damage Huang’s chances of winning a nomination”.

Referring to Chen’s impending departure from city hall later this year, the president said Chen would not be able to relax for long and should be mentally prepared, adding that he would likely shoulder additional responsibilities for Taiwan at the central level.

The contest for southern Taiwan’s largest city is widely seen as one of the most closely watched local races of 2026, with both camps testing whether long-standing political patterns in Kaohsiung will hold or are beginning to bend.

The KMT’s Ko says up to three city districts could be evaluated for cooperation with “friendly parties,” including the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) or independents, to maximize the overall vote.

By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff KAOHSIUNG — Ten years after surviving the 2016 TransAsia Airways Flight 235 crash, former flight attendant…

The 2026 Kaohsiung mayoral race heated up on Feb. 3 as DPP candidate Lai Jui-lung and KMT candidate Ko Chih-en traded sharp criticism over stalled budget negotiations, policy substance, and Kaohsiung’s relationship with the central government, with Ko dismissing what she called “inviting Taylor Swift” spectacles in favor of what she described as serious governance.

The President has approved the resignation of former Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) as president of the Control Yuan after more than a year on leave.

The “KMT–CCP Think Tank Forum” is scheduled for Feb. 2-4 in Beijing and has drawn scrutiny amid heightened cross-strait tensions and the approaching 2026 local elections.