Taiwanese actor Darren Wang arrested over alleged involvement in attempted murder case

Taiwanese actor Darren Wang is currently being investigated for his suspected involvement in an attempted murder case. This comes weeks after the 33-year-old was questioned for allegedly attempting to evade mandatory military service.

According to Taiwanese news outlets, prosecutors – while investigating Wang's ongoing military evasion case – discovered messages on his seized phone that showed him bragging about orchestrating an attack on a private-hire driver.

In April 2024, Wang had reportedly booked a private-hire vehicle. Upon the arrival of the car, Wang was said to have been dissatisfied with the vehicle's quality. He also claimed that the driver took an unnecessary route during his ride which led to an argument between the two.

Wang later talked about this incident to a friend who then enlisted the help of another acquaintance to track and assault the driver.

According to Taiwanese media outlet Set News, Wang's associates attacked the driver on Apr 25, 2024, took footage of the injured driver, and reported their success to Wang who then boasted about it to his other friends.

In light of the discovered messages, the police detained Wang and another man, surnamed Yu. They also recommended charges of attempted murder.

Darren Wang is best known for starring in the hit 2015 movie Our Times. 

In February this year, he was detained by the authorities after allegedly evading mandatory military service. He was also reportedly under investigation for the alleged forgery of a medical document. 

The conscription age in Taiwan is 18, with deferment granted for higher education – though all men are required to serve in the military for one year by the time they turn 36.

Mandatory military service was extended from the previously obligatory period of four months, taking effect at the beginning of last year.