According to HK01, actor Darren Wang appeared in court at 9:30 am, accompanied by his lawyer, although he had forgotten his identification. The judge allowed the hearing to continue. At the start of the trial, Wang Talu apologized for his mistakes, citing lack of knowledge. The judge ordered him to sit down to follow proper legal procedures.
In court, Darren Wang admitted all illegal actions, including falsification of official documents and obstruction of military service.
The key issue under investigation was the amount of money paid by Darren Wang to Chen Zhiming, the leader of the counterfeiting group, to obtain fake medical results for military exemption. Chen Zhiming said he received 2.6 million TWD, while Wang Talu said he paid 3.6 million TWD (over $115,000 USD) in five installments. The court is currently clarifying the TWD 1 million discrepancy.
Lawyers argued that Darren Wang has sincerely admitted wrongdoing and is currently performing community service in Taipei. They asked for leniency, such as fines or suspended sentences. The hearing lasted about 40 minutes and Darren Wang declined to comment to the press.
The scandal of military evasion using fake medical records has rocked Taiwan’s entertainment industry since February 2025. Darren Wang allegedly sought Chen Zhiming’s network to falsify medical records to avoid military service. Prosecutors later found that the network helped several celebrities using similar methods, including manipulating blood pressure tests and using body doubles.
So far there are 18 artists connected to the network. In the first wave, 10 artists, including Darren Wang, Daniel Chen, William, Nine Chen, Li Quan and others, were prosecuted. The second wave involved five more, while three Gary Tang, Shi Lang and A Da turned themselves in voluntarily.
In June, at the initial stage, the New Taipei Prosecutor’s Office requested sanctions under military service obstruction and document falsification laws for Chen Zhiming, Darren Wang and 28 other defendants.
Darren Wang has emerged as a key figure in the scandal. According to blogger Ho Taiping, after paying for counterfeit documents, Darren Wang inadvertently exposed himself by reporting Chen Zhiming for unrelated fraud. Police also discovered his past links to organized crime, loan sharking and debt collection.
Born in 1991, Darren Wang is known as an actor, model and infamous socialite in the Greater China entertainment scene. His most notable roles include Hsu Tai-yu in Our Times (2015), No More Bets (2023), Wolf Hiding (2023) and The Wolf (2020-2021).
Sources: HK01
