He’s Gonnneee!!!

South Korean Sensation Rain Enters Military as Hundreds of Fans Bid Him Farewell

10/11/2011 by Sofia M. Fernandez, Lee Hyo-won

The pop singer-actor’s latest film, Soar Into the Sun, will be released in 2012.

Is Rain the South Korean Elvis?
It certainly seemed so by the turnout of hundreds of fans in Seoul Tuesday that came to bid the singer-actor farewell as he entered military service.
Like Elvis, who served two years in the U.S. Army, Rain will be an active-duty solder for the same amount of time with South Korea's Uijeongbu 306 Reserve Battalion.
Military service is mandatory for all able-bodied South Korean men. Artist who have tried to avoid duty, have suffered career backlashes, reports the BBC.
Rain will be off the public radar for the next two years, but fans will be able to watch him in military action through his air force movie, Soar Into the Sun. In Soar, Jung Ji-hoon – Rain’s real name, which he prefers to use for acting projects – plays a talented yet troublemaking elite air force pilot who is demoted to the combat flying unit. There he meets new friends, rivals and love interest, and is put to the ultimate test when he ventures into enemy territory.
The star told reporters at the Busan Film Festival press conference for the project last week that he feels like he got an intense preview of military life through the film, for which production wrapped last month for a 2012 release. “I experienced seven months of life in the barracks while shooting the movie. It was painful not being able to eat whenever I wanted,” he said, adding that he almost fainted while undergoing the actual gravity test for pilots.
Directed by Kim Dong-hoon, Soar marks Rain’s second homespun movie since his big screen debut, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006) by Park Chan-wook. Hollywood ventures on Rain’s resume include the Wachowskis' Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Photo: Newsen

I have to say, I’m all for articles about Rain being published in American news sources but come on now… he goes into the military and all of a sudden everyone jumps on the bandwagon?  I’ve seen a bajillion (the exact amount) articles about him going into the military in the past few days.  Where were they when he was out and about doing stuff on the daily?  I’m just happy they mentioned Speed Racer AND Ninja Assassin because a few other sources that I saw didn’t bother.  They didn’t even mention here that 20,000 fans came out to see him at his last free street concert.  BTW, who else just does a 2 hour concert in the street??  Love him…

Anyway, he will be missed! 

You can view this article, as well as others, and find out more about Rain at CloudUSA fan site. Go!  You know you want to.