TAIPEI - Taiwanese actors Chen Bo-lin and Hsiu Chieh-kai were among 12 people who were charged on Nov 14 as part of an investigation into military draft dodgers.

Two of the defendants allegedly helped the others fake their blood pressure results by holding their breath or arranging for others to take the test for them, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in a statement.

Chen and Hsiu, both 42, and three other celebrities could spend up to two years and eight months in jail for evading military service, the prosecutors said.

The other three celebrities are Hsieh Kun-da, 43, and Chang Shu-Wei, 45,

from Taiwanese boy band Energy

Five other people face jail terms of up to two years and two months.

The celebrity defendants “enjoy the social benefits of high media attention and fame, and wield considerable influence and exemplary influence over the younger generation”, the prosecutors said.

“Yet, they deliberately evaded military service, severely deviating from societal expectations of public figures and their civic responsibilities.”

Taiwan faces the threat of invasion by China, which claims the island is part of its territory, and Taipei has struggled to recruit and retain troops.

Military service has been mandatory for men aged 18 and over for decades, but the obligatory period has changed under different governments. It is currently one year.

Deferment can be granted for higher education, although all men are required to serve by the time they turn 36.

Chen gained regional fame after he starred in the hit Taiwanese idol drama In Time With You (2011) that was popular in...