PUBLISHED ONOctober 21, 2025 5:56 AMBYKristy ChuaTaiwan authorities launched a third wave of crackdowns on draft evasion this morning (Oct 21), with well-known celebrities such as actors Hsiu Chieh-kai and Chen Bolin as well as singer Chang Shu-wei from Energy among those detained for questioning.
Chieh-kai, who starred in the Mediacorp drama Emerald Hill - The Little Nyonya Story, began his military service in 2016 when he was 33 years old, serving in the alternative military service.
Now 42 years old, he was discharged five months into his service as his actress wife Alyssa Chia was pregnant with their third child.
According to Taiwan regulations, it is stipulated that conscripts who have two or more children under the age of 12 may apply for early discharge. Meeting these requirements, Chieh-kai's discharge order took effect on Nov 29 the same year.
In 2011, Bolin, now 42, publicly stated that he had been exempted from service due to asthma and blood pressure issues, admitting that "it's not something to be proud of".
Last year, pop group Energy made their comeback after returning from their 15-year hiatus. However, they drew public scrutiny after netizens realised all five members — Shu-wei, Edy, Milk, Toro and Kunda — were exempted from military service.
Shu-wei was reportedly excused due to thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder in which the body does not make enough haemoglobin.
Prosecutors and police are investigating whether the 44-year-old falsified his medical records or made any false declarations.
Based on media reports, up to 10 people were apprehended in this round of investigations, five of whom are in showbiz.
In February, Taiwanese actor Darren Wang was under investigation under suspicion of dodging military service with the use of forged medical documents.
He was charged on June 16 along with 27 others for knowingly causing a public official to make a false entry in a public document. The 34-year-old allegedly paid the case's prime suspect — a man surnamed Chen — NT$3.6m (S$157,000) to manage matters related to military evasion.
Darren, who was granted bail and was set to begin his military service in March, faces a maximum term of three years in prison if found guilty.
Chieh-kai and Bolin will reportedly be questioned on whether and how they came into contact with Chen.
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