Taiwanese Actor Jin Bai-lin Arrested for Draft Evasion Charges... "Purchased False Medical Certificate"

Taiwanese actor Jin Bai-lin has been arrested by local police on charges of draft evasion.

According to local media such as the Liberty Times and ET Today on the 21st, the New Taipei City police arrested actor Jin Bai-lin (42) along with Su Ge, Energy group member Zhang Xue-wei, and Lollipop member Xiao Jie, among others, on charges of draft evasion and are currently investigating them. Actor Kunda is also on the list but has not yet been arrested as he is currently filming a program in Canada.

The police investigation revealed that they paid broker Chen to obtain false medical certificates, with payments ranging from 100,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 4,600 USD) to 500,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 23,000 USD). Chen's group used methods such as having individuals hold their breath during blood pressure measurements or using manipulated blood pressure devices to issue severe hypertension diagnoses. This helped them receive alternative service or exemptions from military service.

The arrested celebrities admitted to the charges during police questioning, stating, "We purchased false medical certificates to evade military service." It was also reported that they expressed some level of mental preparation when the Wang Da-lu incident occurred. They are expected to be referred to the prosecution on charges of document forgery and obstructing military service.

This incident is an extension of the draft evasion case involving Taiwanese actor Wang Da-lu (34) that occurred in February of this year. At that time, the investigative authorities arrested Wang Da-lu along with broker Chen and discovered that multiple celebrities were involved during the process of seizing their mobile phones. Following the first large-scale arrest operation in May, where a total of 28 individuals including 9 celebrities and brokers were referred to trial, this marks the third investigation.

In particular, Jin Bai-lin's draft evasion allegations are not new. Similar allegations were raised against him in 2011, but at that time he explained, "I was exempt from military service due to asthma, so I had no obligation to serve in the military," adding, "It’s not something to be proud of."

Born in 1983, Jin Bai-lin made a glamorous debut in the 2002 Taiwanese youth film 'Blue Gate Crossing' alongside Gigi Leung, gaining immense popularity as the 'Nation's First Love' image. He has since established himself as a representative actor in the Chinese-speaking world, starring in numerous works such as 'Mayday', 'Guanyin Mountain', and 'Love Panic'.

Jin Bai-lin is also a familiar face in Korea. He appeared in the 2016 China-Korea co-production film 'The Bad Guys Always Die' alongside Son Ye-jin, and starred in the film 'Love in the Time of Death' with Ha Ji-won and Cheon Jeong-myeong the same year. He also made a special appearance in the 2016 MBC drama 'Monster'. He gained attention for appearing as a virtual couple with Song Ji-hyo in the 'Chinese Version of We Got Married'.

Taiwanese society is growing increasingly concerned about the 'unfairness of military service' due to the ongoing draft evasion scandals involving celebrities. In response, the Taiwanese legislature proposed an amendment in July to impose a prison sentence of more than six months for draft evasion.