Taiwan Faces Controversy as Popular Actors Arrested for Military Evasion
Authorities: "16% Exempted from Service... 17,000 People"
Overweight Accounts for 30% of Exemptions
BMI Standards to Be Tightened
Amid recent controversy in Taiwan over celebrities attempting to evade military service, it has been revealed that the most common reason for exemption from military duty is being overweight. According to Yonhap News on the 23rd, citing Taiwanese media such as China Times, "The National Conscription Agency under Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior reported that, last year, 16% of those eligible for service (about 17,000 people) were exempted from military duty." The reasons were ranked in the following order: overweight, intelligence quotient (IQ) issues, autism, congenital clubfoot (inward-turning feet), and arrhythmia. Overweight accounted for 30% of all exemptions, while each of the other reasons accounted for less than 10%.
Soldiers stand in front of tanks during a live-fire military exercise held last July in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Photo by AP Yonhap News
As of August this year, the exemption rate had reached 16%, with the primary reasons being overweight, clubfoot, arrhythmia, IQ issues, and neurosis, in that order. Furthermore, overweight has been the leading cause of military exemption for the past ten years. Liu Shufang, Taiwan's Minister of the Interior, explained, "Conditions such as being overweight, cardiovascular issues, spinal problems, and mental disorders can be identified by comparing the health insurance treatment records of those eligible for service."
Additionally, over the past ten years, there were 2,146 cases where individuals failed to comply with conscription by leaving the country without government approval or not returning after their departure period expired, and 527 cases where individuals refused physical examinations without valid reasons or altered their physical grade by intentionally harming themselves.
The authorities plan to strengthen physical grading standards in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, referencing cases from other Asian countries. In particular, the body mass index (BMI-weight divided by the square of height) standard will be adjusted to "over 45 or under 15," making it more difficult to obtain exemptions for weight-related reasons in the future. In addition, exemptions due to high blood pressure will only be granted if there are actual lesions in the heart or other organs, confirmed by hospitalization in a general hospital.
Previously, in June, 28 individuals, including popular Taiwanese actor Darren Wang, were arrested and indicted on charges of attempting to evade military service. On the 21st, Chen Bolin was also arrested by police on similar charges. Local media reported that more celebrities are expected to be arrested on suspicion of evading military service.
Military exemptions in Taiwan are reportedly on the rise. This trend is believed to be influenced by the extension of mandatory military service from four months to one year starting in January 2024, amid growing military tensions with China.
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