The arrest of Taiwanese actor-singer Chu Sung-yi on allegations that he bribed officials to evade military service has reverberated across the island.
Local outlets, including TVBS and The Taipei Times, reported on the 1st that Chu—popularly known as “Prince”—was arrested at his apartment on charges of violating the Military Service Act and forging documents.
Prosecutors allege Chu paid brokers roughly NT$300,000–400,000 (about 14 million–19 million KRW (about US$10,500–14,250)) in exchange for a falsified medical certificate claiming high blood pressure so he could secure a service exemption.
Handcuffed and taken into custody, Chu admitted to the allegations during police questioning and was released on NT$500,000 bail (about 24 million KRW (about US$18,000)). As he left the police station, he bowed to reporters and offered an apology.
The arrest is part of a wide-ranging investigation into military-service corruption that began last year. Taiwan prosecutors have already indicted 28 people — including actor Wang Da-lu, as well as entertainers, chefs and doctors — and have recently detained about 10 more suspects, including Chu, as they step up the probe.
Public reaction has frequently invoked South Korea’s boy band BTS as a point of comparison, with commentators urging greater accountability in Taiwan’s entertainment industry.
Taiwanese outlets carried online criticism noting that even global superstars BTS fulfilled their active-duty obligations, and they sharply condemned local celebrities accused of using shortcuts to avoid service.
BTS began completing military service with eldest member Jin in December 2022; last month the full group’s fifth studio album Arirang and its lead single “Swim” topped the U.S. Billboard charts, extending the group’s commercial peak. In Taiwan, calls for introspection — and for the local industry to adopt a similar sense of responsibility — are gaining traction.
