Author: Eryk Michael Smith
Eryk Michael Smith
Eryk Michael Smith is a journalist with over a decade of experience working for local and international outlets. He is also the co-host of The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files, and co-founder of Plum Rain Press. The Kaohsiung Times is Smith's latest project, and aims to provide more southern Taiwan-centric news in English.
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”.
Because buyers are not purchasing the land itself, land-lease homes are usually priced about 30–40% lower than comparable freehold properties in the same location.
By Eryk Michael Smith KAOHSIUNG — One of the world’s most exuberant spring festivals is set to splash into southern Taiwan later this month, as organizers prepare a large-scale Holi Music Festival at Chengcing Lake (澄清湖) on Feb. 28, blending Indian tradition with Kaohsiung’s growing international cultural scene. The event, organized by the Ocean Fantasy Museum in cooperation with Taiwan Water Corporation, aims to introduce the Hindu Festival of Colors – known worldwide for its vibrant powder-throwing, dancing, and music – to both city residents and the international community. Holi traditionally celebrates the arrival of spring, the triumph of good…
Traditional predictions say the Fire Horse year favors entrepreneurship, bold political shifts, and technological leaps, while warning against impulsive decisions, burnout, and unnecessary conflict.
Performance event highlighting music and traditions from Taiwan’s Caribbean diplomatic allies is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27, at the Pier Garden (渡船頭啤酒花園), organizers announced.
the freeway project received approval for plan revisions last year and is expected to begin construction as early as June. The project will be split into six major construction sections, with different contractors building each section at the same time.
After authorities issued orders halting soil removal, the operation allegedly escalated rather than stopped. Instead of restoring the land with clean fill, suspects are accused of dumping construction waste — including bricks, concrete debris, plastic refuse, and even tires — into the pits, covering them with thin soil to conceal the contamination.
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.
By Eryk Michael Smith A recent New York Times investigation has drawn attention to a quieter, less conventional way maritime power can be exercised, without warships ever leaving port. In early January 2026, thousands of Chinese fishing vessels assembled into tightly coordinated formations in the East China Sea, not to fish, but to hold position. Using ship-tracking data, researchers identified two separate operations involving roughly 1,400 and 2,000 vessels. Instead of spreading out, the boats formed dense, organized lines stretching hundreds of kilometers. Nearby cargo ships slowed, rerouted, or carefully threaded through gaps. The fleets remained in place for more…
The ruling reflects a broader legal transition in Taiwan: adultery is no longer treated as a matter for state punishment, but neither is it legally consequence-free.
