Taiwan is overhauling its military service exemption requirements following a series of draft-dodging allegations involving entertainers. The move is seen as an effort to block exemptions obtained through loopholes and to ensure fairness in managing military manpower amid military pressure from China.
Exemption Criteria Narrowed Sharply
According to China Times and other outlets, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense on Sept. 30 released a revision covering 180 items, including adjustments to the height and body mass index (BMI) thresholds that qualify for exemption from military service. The revised rules are set to take effect on Oct. 31.
The height standard changes from the previous "196 centimeters or taller, or 154 centimeters or shorter" to "144 centimeters or shorter." Previously, both unusually tall and unusually short individuals were eligible for exemption, but going forward only those measuring 144 centimeters or less will meet the requirement.
The BMI standard also shifts from "above 35 or below 15" to "above 45." Overweight status in particular has been tallied as a leading cause of exemption in Taiwan. Last year, the National Conscription Agency under Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior said that being overweight accounted for the largest share of exemption grounds over the past decade. Overweight cases made up 30%, followed by issues with intelligence quotient, autism, congenital clubfoot and arrhythmia.
Blood Pressure and Vision Rulings Also Get Stricter
Taiwanese authorities are also revising the process for diagnosing high blood pressure, which has been criticized as a tool used to avoid military service. Officials plan to apply stricter testing, requiring one to three days of hospitalization followed by 24 hours of continuous measurement. Exemptions will be granted only when an actual condition such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is confirmed.
Vision standards are being revised to corrected visual acuity below 0.6. In effect, authorities have raised the bar on multiple criteria at once to reduce the possibility of using physical conditions to avoid service.
The overhaul also ties into a fairness controversy stirred by a run of draft-dodging cases involving well-known entertainers. In Taiwan, actors Wang Ta-lu and Darren Chen and singer Chiu Sheng have been arrested on suspicion of evading military service. They are alleged to have obtained falsified medical certificates to apply for exemptions in order to avoid serving.
Taiwan also extended its mandatory service period from four months to one year starting in 2024. With military tension across the Taiwan Strait rising and cases of exemptions obtained through loopholes increasing, the government is seen as moving to tighten management of its military manpower.
South Korea likewise uses BMI in physical examinations to assess the weight status of those subject to military service. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. Under South Korean standards, 19.9 or below is classified as underweight, 20.0 to 24.9 as normal, 25.0 to 29.9 as overweight and 30.0 or above as obese. While results vary depending on an examinee's height and weight, those falling roughly between 20.0 and 24.9 are generally assigned to active duty.
