Taiwan’s entertainment industry has been rocked once again by a military evasion scandal involving high-profile celebrities, including actors with ties to Korean dramas and films. Among those newly implicated is actor Chen Bo-lin, who co-starred with Son Ye Jin and Ha Ji Won, earning him a strong fan base in South Korea.
On October 21, multiple Taiwanese media outlets reported that police in New Taipei City detained five celebrities including Chen Bo-lin, Hsiu Chieh-kai, and group “Energy” member Chang Shu-wei on suspicion of draft-dodging. This follows a February investigation that led to the arrest of actor Darren Wang, known as Taiwan’s “First Love,” for obtaining a false medical exemption with the help of a broker identified as Mr. Chen.
Authorities allege that Mr. Chen and his network charged celebrities between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000 (approximately USD 3,000 to USD 16,000) to issue fake medical certificates. Their methods included manipulating blood pressure readings and using tampered equipment to simulate serious health issues like hypertension leading to either reassignment to alternative service or complete exemption.
The fallout is significant as many of the celebrities implicated are household names. Chen Bo-lin rose to fame with the 2002 film Blue Gate Crossing and later starred in the hit Taiwanese drama In Time with You. His crossover into Korean entertainment includes the Chinese-Korean film Bad Guys Always Die (2016) alongside Son Ye Jin, and Life Risking Romance with Ha Ji Won and Chun Jung Myung. He also made a special appearance in MBC’s Monster. Though he previously claimed his exemption was due to asthma and blood pressure issues, the legitimacy of these claims is now under scrutiny.
Actor Hsiu Chieh-kai, known for dramas like They Kiss Again and Absolute Boyfriend, reportedly delayed military service until after marriage and fatherhood. He received an early discharge citing family reasons, raising ongoing suspicions of evasion. Chang Shu-wei, a member of the first-generation idol group Energy, recently reunited with the group and had been actively promoting until this controversy.
Darren Wang is accused of paying NT$3.6 million (about USD 116,000) to obtain a fake diagnosis of heart disease. He is also under investigation for allegedly ordering an assault on a ride-share driver and misusing personal data. Currently, he is serving alternative military service in Taipei.
This latest wave of arrests brings the total number of celebrities linked to military evasion to at least 15, marking one of the biggest scandals of its kind in Taiwan in recent years.
Sources: Daum
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