Rain Atop Time 100 Online Vote

Singer Rain could well be named as one of the world's top 100 influential people by Time magazine for the second year.

The singer current sits atop the ongoing online survey to determine this year's Time 100 list.

Rain made it on the list for the first time last year and attended the award ceremony and the Time 100 party at New York Lincoln Center last May, which earned him global fame.

In the online poll underway on the Time Web site, Rain has garnered 22,310 votes as of Monday morning, Korean time, followed by rock band U2 frontman Bono and U.S. President George W. Bush. There are a total of 200 candidates.

The Web site introduces the Korean singer as having topped music charts in Japan, China, Taiwan and Indonesia, performed at Manhattan's Madison Square Garden and recorded a duet with B2K's Omarion.

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Rain Makes Global List of 100 Most Beautiful People

Korean singer Rain has made People magazine's annual list of the world's 100 most beautiful people.

The singer's agency, JYP Entertainment, said Thursday that the list includes seven non-Americans including Rain, adding that a half-page article will introduce the Korean singer in the special issue.

It is the 23-year-old's first time to make the list. He is reportedly profiled as one of the magazine's "First Time Beauties 2007" along with Wentworth Miller, the star of the U.S. TV series "Prison Break", and R&B singer Chris Brown.

Rain, who has been described as the "Justin Timberlake of the East", also made a list of the world's 100 most influential people compiled last May by Time magazine, a sister publication of People.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio

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Singer Rain Descends on Australia for World Tour

The Stamford Plaza Hotel in Sydney on Wednesday was bustling with about 100 reporters and photographers from all over Asia and Australia. They were there for a press conference with Rain who had arrived a few days ahead of his Saturday concert, his first show in Australia and part of his "Rain's Coming" world tour. Journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC TV, Rueters TV and other local and international news outlets turned their attention to the Korean pop singer who is rapidly becoming a global star. Rain, in both one-on-one morning interviews and at the press conference, talked confidently about his feelings preparing for the show, the results of the tour so far and his future plans. Rain arrived in Australia on Tuesday to find a crowd of 150 fans waiting for him at Sydney Airport. Despite a hiccup in the tour date -- the concert was postponed a week because of a venue change -- ticket sales have been going well. Even the Easter holidays didn't slow down the weekend bookings. Rain will take to the stage on Saturday at Acer Arena, where other top international acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beyonce Knowles have performed. Korean singer Rain looks at an Australia koala known as 'Jaffa' before a news conference in Sydney on Wednesday. Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, will perform in a concert in Sydney on Saturday night as part of his current world tour./REUTERS Source : www.chosun.com... ( English Chinese Korean Japanese ) + Hancinema e-news

Rain Eyes US Debut with English Album

Singer Rain,, who is approaching global stardom, announced plans for his U.S. debut during a news conference in Australia. The conference in Sydney preceded his concert tour in the "land down under".

He mentioned the U.S. debut plans when asked what he thought about being called the "Justin Timberlake of Asia". Rain said he's a fan of the U.S. pop star and noted that the nickname was first introduced by Time magazine when he made it on its list of the world's 100 most influential people.

Rain noted that perhaps there was not a better way to introduce himself at the time, but that the moniker will likely disappear when he releases his first-ever English album for his official U.S. debut late this year or early next year. Rain showed strong confidence in announcing his plans.

Some 20 Australian and 40 Asian media outlets including reporters from China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia came for the news conference, comprising the biggest media gathering involving Rain since the star launched his world tour.

Source : english.kbs.co.kr... ( English ) + Hancinema E-news
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Korean Singer Rain Schedules Honolulu Concert

Concert promoters announced on Friday that top Korean singer Rain, Bi in Korean, will perform in Honolulu in July.

Rain is on a world tour through the Pacific. The Hawaii concert will be on July 3 at Aloha Stadium. Tickets go on sale starting on May 15.

Tickets will range in price from $40 to $240.

The rock star is considered Korea's premiere pop recording artist, selling millions of CDs and garnering a shelf-load of awards.

The 24-year-old entertainer, born Jung Ji-Hoon, made his biggest hit after starring in the Korean drama "Full House" in 2004. His next album is expected to include a duet with Christina Aguilera.