Popular Actor, Girlfriend Sentenced To Prison In Military Draft Evasion Case

On February 18, 2025, then 33-year-old Taiwanese actor Wang Ta Lu (also known as Darren Wang), who rose to fame after starring in the 2015 romantic comedy Our Times, was arrested at his home on suspicion of draft dodging.

He was suspected of paying NT$1 million (approximately $30,525 USD) and faking a heart condition via forged documentation to receive an exemption, and was released on bail later the same day.

In Taiwan, the conscription age is 18. Men are required to serve in the military for one year before their 36th birthday. In December 2022, it was announced that the length of mandatory military service would be extended to 1 year, beginning in 2024, and that anyone found guilty of evading conscription would face up to 5 years in prison.

On April 22, it was reported that Darren Wang had been sentenced to six months in prison for illegally accessing personal data.

After Wang allegedly transferred funds to Chen, the individual behind the draft-dodging ring, Chen did not respond, as he was already being detained on fraud charges.  Wang’s co-defendant approached a police officer to retrieve Chen’s information, which was then sent to Wang.

Wang’s girlfriend, Chueh Mu Hsuan, was also sentenced to 6 months in prison, on similar charges.

These sentences can be commuted into fines.