Earlier this year, Taiwanese actor Darren Wang (王大陸) sparked heated debate after allegedly paying money to evade his mandatory military service. However, it appears that he isn’t the only star facing such allegations.
On 21st October 2025 (Tuesday), news outlets reported that the Taiwanese authorities have begun a crackdown on celebrities evading military enlistment. Among the stars arrested for questioning were Chen Bolin (陳柏霖), Hsiu Chieh-kai (修杰楷) and Energy member Joe Chang (張書偉). Like Darren Wang, these stars allegedly paid money to a criminal ring to falsify medical documents to secure exemptions or early discharges.
Energy member Kunda Hsieh (謝坤達) is also one of the celebrities suspected of faking medical problems to evade military service. He was supposed to be taken in for police questioning, but the singer had recently flown to Vancouver for a work trip. Authorities plan to issue an order to question the star once he returns to Taiwan. However, reports say that Kunda cancelled his work after learning the news and will return as soon as possible to assist with the investigation.
Hours after their arrest, all stars posted bail and were released from police custody. Hsiu Chieh-kai then issued an apology through his agency, admitting his mistakes. He said, “I deeply regret any momentary misgivings I made in the past, and I will humbly accept the judicial authorities’ review.” The actor enlisted in the military in 2016 but was discharged earlier due to his wife Alyssa Chia’s (賈靜雯) pregnancy. However, he admitted to having paid for fake medical records.
Meanwhile, Chen Bolin was exempted from service in 2011 for having asthma and high blood pressure. Authorities arrested him after the ringleader claimed to have helped him forge medical documents. Similarly, Joe Chang was exempted because he has thalassemia, and Kunda received an exemption after having surgery for pneumothorax in 2005. However, authorities are now investigating whether the Energy members had falsified their medical records.
In the past eight months, police have arrested 15 celebrities for suspicion of forging medical records to evade military service. Investigations are ongoing, but if found guilty, the stars could face legal action, including imprisonment for up to five years.
Sources: DramaPanda, Taipei Times, AsiaOne
