Here’s the latest update.
Koreaboo
An update regarding the investigations into Taiwanese actor Darren Wang (also known as Wang Ta Lu) has been released to the public.
Wang was arrested at his home on February 18 and released on bail later the same day on suspicion of evading military service. In Taiwan, the age of conscription is 18. Men are required to serve in the military for one year, before their 36th birthday. In December 2022, President Tsai Ing Wen announced that the length of mandatory military service would be extended to one year beginning in 2024. It was previously four months. Anyone found guilty of evading conscription faces up to five years in prison.
On March 4, less than a month after his arrest, media outlets reported that Wang is now under investigation for attempted murder. The alleged attempted murder happened in April of 2024, after Wang became aggressive with an UBER driver. Afterwards, he allegedly got in touch with a gang member through his friend, reportedly a 2nd-generation chaebol, who then beat up the driver of the car and the individual who handled Wang’s reservation.
Although the crime was reported, Wang’s involvement only became known after he was investigated for military evasion. Through his seized phone, investigators discovered that the actor had messages and photos indicating he bragged to his friends about the orchestrated assault.
WATCH: Actor Darren Wang’s Altercation With Attempted Murder Victim Exposed
On June 16, Wang and 27 other people were charged with military service draft-dodging offences. In a statement, The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office said that the actor has been charged with knowingly causing a public official to make a false entry in a public document.
Wang allegedly paid a man identified as Chen, the main suspect in the draft-evasion case, $3.6 million TWD (approximately $121, 642 USD) for helping him obtain an exemption. This included forging documentation and having one of the 26 other defendants use Wang’s I.D. to impersonate Wang at a hospital. Chen was detained before the plan could be put into motion.
