Amid ongoing draft-dodging scandals in Taiwan's entertainment industry, local media raised criticism by mentioning the group BTS.
On the 1st, according to reports by local outlets TVBS, Taipei Times and ETtoday, singer and actor Chu Seong-i was arrested on charges of draft dodging.
According to reports, Chu Seong-i admitted to paying a broker about 300,000–400,000 New Taiwan dollars and forging medical certificates related to high blood pressure to obtain an exemption from military service.
The case was not isolated. Earlier in Taiwan, a number of people including actor Wang Da-lu and other entertainers and figures from various sectors were prosecuted on charges of obstructing military service and document forgery, and recent additional arrests have continued, expanding the fallout.
In this context, Taiwanese media pointed out the issue of draft dodging in their entertainment industry and cited Korean entertainers as examples. The outlets conveyed reactions such as "Even the world-famous BTS completed their military service" and "We should look to and learn from Korea," expressing calls for self-reflection.
Meanwhile, BTS began fulfilling military service obligations starting with eldest member Jin's enlistment in 2022, and all members completed their discharge and release from active duty sequentially by 2025.<
[Photo] Provided by BigHit Music
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