Mayor Chen said the city would expand contracted counseling institutions, provide funding for stress-management and emotional-support courses in schools, and use the employee assistance program to connect teachers with medical and mental-health resources. He also said the KH Education Bureau had been asked to identify problems reported by frontline educators and bring in cross-departmental resources, including psychologists, social workers, and medical institutions.

The bridge drew criticism in recent days after residents said the red railings along the bridge deck resembled Japanese torii gates. Others raised safety concerns, saying the gaps between the railings appeared too wide. The city’s New Construction Office said the open railing design was chosen to preserve views of the Love River, but contractors have since repainted the railings white and started installing protective netting.

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.

Afritai Ltd. (亞非台有限公司) founder Ubadigha Chinweze told Kaohsiung Times that he first noticed the opportunity while working part-time at a scrapyard as a student in Taiwan. One of his jobs was helping load shipping containers bound for Africa. The experience showed him that many Taiwanese used cars and auto parts still had value in overseas markets.