A Kaohsiung city councilor has said one of Mayor Chen Chi-mai’s (陳其邁) biggest unfinished goals is the long-delayed effort to bring giraffes to Shoushan Zoo (壽山動物園).

She acknowledged that Kaohsiung remains a city where the DPP has more support than the KMT, and said she does not deny that Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) has maintained strong approval ratings. Ko also said previous mayors, including Han, deserved credit for parts of their work. She said Han’s administration, though short-lived, made improvements to roads, drainage, and flood prevention.

Wang argued that the DPP’s continued strength in Kaohsiung and Tainan gives it more than local control. The two cities also serve as important sources of political talent, grassroots organization, and policy experience, he wrote. Opposition parties, by contrast, have often concentrated resources in northern Taiwan and a limited number of competitive districts, treating southern cities as difficult or unwinnable, according to Wang.

Lee Skluzak assumes duties as branch chief on July 2, while Harry R. Thompson will serve as deputy branch chief with responsibility for economic and consular affairs, AIT said.

KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), the party’s Kaohsiung mayoral candidate, had been scheduled to appear on Friday with former Taiwan People’s Party Chair Ko Wen-je at a local temple. The event was canceled after discussions between the two sides, with organizers saying disaster response and public safety would come first. The DPP candidate, Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), visited flood-control sites early Thursday, including the Zhenzhou Pumping Station (鎮州抽水站) in Cianjhen District (前鎮區) and the Baoye Borough detention pond in Sanmin District (三民區).

As the city’s concert economy draws more political attention, claims have circulated that local borough offices received “community benefit” tickets from concert organizers. The implication was that neighborhood representatives were receiving ticket benefits while residents were still dealing with noise problems.

Ko’s proposal calls for venue fees to be used as an incentive to encourage real-name ticket purchasing, with the stated goal of reducing ticket scalping and protecting fans. Her campaign has also proposed linking concerts with certified “friendly lodging” programs and local travel packages.

Lai said the latest poll was only a temporary indicator and that his campaign would continue strengthening local support. Ko’s campaign questioned the poll’s credibility, calling it a survey released by a “green think tank.” The contrast shows how polling sponsor, timing, wording, sampling, and method can shape results and how campaigns interpret them.

KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate and Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) said the popularity of the 2026 Korean campus-conflict drama series known in Chinese as Iron Fist Education (鐵拳教育) reflects a deeper sense of frustration among Taiwan’s teachers.

Pingtung prosecutors had previously granted deferred prosecution to Su, hospital general affairs chief Su Wei-sung (蘇威菘), an electrical equipment worker surnamed Cheng (鄭), and a building safety inspector surnamed Kuo (郭). The four had acknowledged building violations and paid compensation to victims’ families, according to the report.