Jung Ji Hoon * 정지훈 * 鄭智薰 * (aka Rain/Bi / 비 / ピ) I [Upcoming Drama 2024] Red Swan

[anjjo]

Results of the Attention!! My Rain Event
2013.06.30

by huhuhuhu@rain-cloud.co.kr

Results of the Attention!! My Rain Event

It has been a difficult decision but it’s time to announce the result.

The BESIDE team had tried their very best to be impartial and fair as they watched the many video submissions and awarded their points.

In fact, very often the difference is just 1 or 2 points between the various winners. 

Watching so many fans performing Rain’s songs and dances merrily made them happy too!  And they hope all fans will continue to support Rain as he starts his second stage!

Prizes will be sent out as soon as possible.  To all the winners, please send your mailing address to therainfen@naver.com

An 8^th prize and a special prize had been added to the award.  8^th prize: 3 copies of Rainism CD.  Special Prize: 3 copies of Back to the Basic CD.

Thank you very much again to all of you who participated in this event.

 

1^st prize  : Country : Brazil.  Name : Gleice Oliveira

2^nd prize:  Country: Turkey , Turkish Clouds

3^rd prize: Country : Peru , Name :  Sttefany Ayma,Fiorella Sanchez,Mariela Bustamante

4^th prize: Country:  Taiwna, Name: 진카터 陳卡特 Carter Chen

5^th prize: Country : Taiwan , Name : Vivi Lee . Love Ku

6^th prize: Country: Chile,  Name: Cloud Chile & VOID

7^th prize:

Country :  Peru  , Names: Marco. A. Ponce

Country :  Viet Nam ,  Full Name: Pham Ngoc Kim Long

Country: Peru , Names: Thalia Gomez Ramos; Patricia Aguilar Guerrero; Lilian Cortez Taboada

8^th prize:

Eena           

Country: Peru , Name: Leyla rez Serif Benghiul

Country : Mexico, name : Judith Gutierrez 

Country : USA , Sarah Sweat

 Special prize: Country ：Japan , 名前：pokusuna

Congratulations to the winners and please remember to send in your address to therainfen@naver.com

[anjjo]

130630 Rain Mentholatum Men


Credit: Mentholatum @ weibo//scorpiola@rain-cloud.co.kr


#曼秀雷敦概念店•广州大学城•6月大放送# 这个夏天，拒绝黑头！男士净黑头火山泥洁面乳，特含美国怀俄明州火山泥，有效抑制皮脂分泌，收细毛孔，赶走黑头。配合源自海拔1800米的瑞士冰川水，洁面后不绷紧，有效保持肌肤24小时长效水润。快来小曼店选购吧

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit: Mentholatum @ weibo

#曼生活• 男士# 进入职场身材走样在所难免，但是只要“拳”力出击还是可以扳回一城！拳击运动已经在不少大城市渐渐流行，成为不少白领下班锻炼的首选，它不但锻炼到上身肌 肉，提升人的灵敏性和反应能力，最重要的是拳击运动比普通的运动更能释放平日累积的工作压力！曼粉们，一起出拳吧

 

 

[anjjo]

Rain July, 2013 calendar

[willenette]

anjjo said: class="articletitle"Best Abs In Kpop: The Hardest Decision of Your Lives

June 28, 2013

Abs, abs, abs, abs galore! We may love our K-pop boys for their voices or dance skills, but we all cannot deny that their abs are a huge reason we drool, cry, desire, lust, and need. In general, Korean men are slim figured. I am stating that fact based merely on my personal observation of Korean men, but I think it's safe to say most are on the thinner side of the spectrum. When you work that body out with tons of gym time and hours learning choreography, the results will be 6 to 8 packs, defined triceps and biceps, V-shaped cut obliques, and a whole lot of chocolate ab goodness. Let's take a look at the best bodies in K-pop and you tell us whose body does it for you!

skipped   .   .   .    .     .

skipped   .   .   .    .     .

Rain. During his "Ninja Assassin" days. Enough said.

skipped    .     .     .    .     .

pls read more @http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/32839/20130628/choi-shi-won-jay-park-taec-changmin-2am-dalmation-simon-psy.htm

[willenette]

anjjo said: willenette said: anjjo said: Hi willenette,  much have been reported about this topic, some write-ups proclaiming that Rain is again in another scandal which I don't like to post anymore plus rumours and hearsays in some blogs.  Really, when I read things like those, I am in low spirit the whole day. As of now, we, his fans have peace of mind with the news that his discharge will push through as planned and I hope without any more hassle. [-O<   I am very sorry for Se7en and though I am not his fan, I like him for being a friend of Rain and I am not judgmental at all.  I believe that he is a victim of circumstances, he should have been cautious as he is old enough to know the rules and the consequences of his actions.  Anyway, here is an article that mentions Rain -

[willenette]

anjjo said: [27-June-2013][News1]Rain'll leave the army on July 10th as scheduled.
2013.06.27

credit:화니@rain-cloud.co.kr

While Sangchu and Seven went to a massage parlor, Rain went straight to the lodging.

 

Singer Rain (his real name, Jung Ji-Hoon), who is the senior of entertainment soldiers Seven (Choi Dong-Wook) and Sangchu (Lee Sang-Cheol), is going to be discharged from military service on July 10th as scheduled.

 

Defense Media Agency officials said on the 27th, "Sergeant 'Jung Ji-Hoon' is expected to be discharged from military service on July 10th as scheduled." and "No specific changes have been made to the plan yet."

 

Recently, it has been revealed that Sangchu and Seven went to a massage parlor, which has even made Rain the subject of criticism. Rain participated in a concert in Chuncheon city with the two.

 

Rain's excessive outing for dating his lover 'Kim Tae-Hee' was controversial last January, and thereafter, he was placed under a probation period of one week by reason of his being in breach of military rules.

 

As Sangchu and Seven has caused the scandal this time, the issue that shows Rain was willing to date 'Kim Tae-Hee' and take a risk of violating the miltary rules, has once again come to the fore.

 

Some netizens are laying the blame on Rain, responding to Sangchu and Seven's scandal, "Rain should have been set an example for his juniors 'Sangchu' and 'Seven' to follow", "What will Sangchu and Seven learn by watching Rain manage his juniors poorly?", etc.

 

It is rumored that Rain dated 'Kim Tae-Hee' on the 21st when Sangchu and Seven went to a massage parlor, but the rumor has been found to be untrue.

 

The Defense Media Agency side expressed, "Corporal 'Jung Ji-Hoon' went straight to the lodging immediately after he just had dinner in a restaurant. He is very careful in everything not to cause trouble because the discharge date is not far off."

 

 

Credit to News1 http://news.nate.com/view/20130627n21075

English translation by 화니

[willenette]

http://www.rain-jihoon.com/n2/notice.php

Hello, this is Rainy Entertainment

Rainy Entertainment has moved its office to a new location. 
Please note our new office address when sending fan letters etc.:

Postal code: 135-949
Address: Rainy Entertainment
3/F Cheongdam Village 6-9 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

(please also refer to address in Korean)
서울시 강남구 청담동 6-9 청담마을 3층 레이니엔터테인먼트앞

[anjjo]

[01-Jul-2013]Rain expresses his willingness to give up a vacation granted to sergeants with little time left in the army. He is due to leave the army on the 10th.

  2013.07.01

by 화니@rain-cloud.co.kr

(Revised) : Multiple authorities and military officials told Star News on the 1st,

According to multiple authorities and military officials told Star News on the 1st, singer Rain who is currently serving as a public information services support soldier in the Defense Media Agency, has willingly given up a third vacation which is available to each of sergeants with little time left in the army. This shows that Rain expresses his determined will to be faithful to his duties during his military service.

 

While suspicions have risen about a recent case believed attributable to slack military discipline, Rain's move could raise suspicions that he may settle a controversy. But apart from the situation, Rain has been planning to give up his vacation of 9 nights of his own accord, according to his closest advisers.

 

It has been said that Rain has taken time for self-examination since he caused controversy due to the excessive outing for dating his lover 'Kim Tae-Hee' last January.

 

Military officials said, "Vacations granted to the relevant soldiers who have recently violated military rules, have temporarily come to a stop during the inspection period, but Rain can take the rest of his regular vacation because he is about to leave the army. However, he has willingly given up his vacation and decide to be inspected by the Defense Ministry."

 

Another military official added, "Sergeant 'Jung Ji-Hoon' is very careful in everything not to cause trouble because the discharge date is not far off." and "Jung will not be directly affected by a controversy surrounding the current situation of entertainment soldiers' military service because he gets out of the army on the 10th."

 

 

Credit to Star News http://news.naver.com/main/ranking/read.nhn?mid=etc&sid1=111&rankingType=popular_day&oid=108&aid=0002230080&date=20130701&type=1&rankingSeq=2&rankingSectionId=106

English translation by 화니

[anjjo]

Hi willenette, I am confused, which version is to be believed?  :-O  

Report that Rain had voluntarily given up his end-term vacation surface, Ministry of Defense say they never heard about it

July 1, 2013

Reports that Rain had voluntarily given up his end-term vacation has surfaced.

Star News reported that an insider had revealed to them, "Rain has voluntarily given up his end-term vacation. He's saying that he wants to spend his last days fulfilling his duties to the best of his abilities."

Another insider told them, "During inspections, the soliders' vacations get put on hold. But since Rain is about to end his enlistment, he can use his end-term vacations. But he decided to give up his vacation to do the best during inspections."

Rain is currently under inspection for leaving the dorms without permission and drinking on the night Se7en and Sangchu visited a massage parlor.

SEE ALSO: Rain found innocent on all charges from fashion company investment case

However, the Ministry of Defense said they never heard about this. They stated, "We've never heard about Rain giving up his vacation. Since he's still being inspected, by regulation, he's not allowed to have vacation days anyway. Also, he's forbidden from contacting the outside if he's part of an inspection. He has to stay until the end of the inspection and respond diligently to the ongoing investigation. His vacation days will be decided after the results of the inspection are revealed. There's nothing confirmed on Rain yet."

Source: Star News, Sports Chosun via Nate, Sports Donga via Nate  //allkpop

----------------------------------------

Rain returns the furlough of the latter part of the military, among the controversy of enlisted soldier in entertainment department

2013/07/02(Tue)

Rain returns the furlough of the latter part of the military, among the controversy of enlisted soldier in entertainment department
The singer Rain, who is in the middle of military service, returned the furlough. // Rain recently returned 10 days of regular furlough, the third one before the discharge from military service on coming 10th. It was known that Rain showed his strong will that he would diligently finish his duties during the rest of the period of his military service. // Ministry of National Defense will be suspend all the rewards and furloughs until the investigation of entertainment soldier related to this controversy ends. For now, the military is in the progress of the investigation on the entertainment soldier, and the actions are to be taken depending on the investigation result. ‘The site 21’ reported the loose military service done by entertainment soldiers, which were completely different from that done by regular soldiers: freely going outside, drinking alcohol, using cell phone and going in and out of the massaging place were allowed to entertainment soldiers. By this, the viewers were enraged. // Meanwhile, the fact that Rain went outside too much to meet his girlfriend Kim Tae-Hee on last January was discovered, and he was placed in the center of the controversy of getting privileged.

Source:innolife.co.kr

--------------------------------------------

class="articletitle"Rain's Decision To End Mandatory Military Enlistment With 10-Day Leave Not Motivated By Recent PR Officer Scandal, His Rep Claims

July 1, 2013

A representative for the actor denied that Rain's decision was motivated by the recent scandal that ensnared fellow PR officers Sanchu of the group Mighty Mouth and the singer Se7en

K-pop singer Rain will use the rest of his allotted leave time to complete his last 10 days serving in the South Korean army as a public relations officer for the Defense Media Agency.

"Rain recently turned in his last leave to show he′s determined to work hard in his services until the end," an anonymous source told the publication CJ E&M enewsWorld.

"His last leave was to last for 10 days."

A representative for the actor denied that Rain's decision was motivated by the recent scandal that ensnared fellow PR officers Sanchu of the group Mighty Mouth and the singer Se7en, after the pair were filmed leaving an erotic massage parlor at 3 a.m. while on active duty.

"He didn′t choose this way because of the recent controversy surrounding PR agents," said a representative for the star.

"He just wished to turn in his leave and work hard until his release."

All eligible males between the ages of 18 and 35 must enroll for roughly two years of army service in South Korea (the length of mandatory enrollment changes by several months depending on which branch of the military that they serve in) in a practice known as conscription.

Rain, who appeared in the 2008 Hollywood film "Speed Racer," created a controversy of his own back in January, when a tabloid published photos of the television actress Kim Tae-Hee getting into his car, during his enlistment.

The singer reportedly was sentenced to seven days of confinement for the incident.

And the conclusion of his two years of military service coming to an end isn't the only reason it's shaping up to be a good summer for Rain.

Last week, the singer was cleared of all charges stemming from a 2010 embezzlement scandal that led to the indictment of two executives at his record label J. Tune Entertainment.

Rain was originally cleared of all embezzlement charges in Seoul Central Court back in 2010, according to the website allkpop, yet the case was reopened a year later.

Back in March, a fashion investor named Lee sued the star for $1.8 million on the charge that he and two of his partners misused company funds, according to allkpop.

"There isn't enough evidence to prove the plaintiff's accusations against singer Rain," the court officer said on Monday. "We've decided he is innocent on all counts."

"Rain, who was sued for bringing harm to a company after demanding [millions of dolllars] for modeling fees as its main shareholder, was cleared of all charges following a reinvestigation," the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office added.

Source:kpopstarz.com

[anjjo]

Hypocrites

2013-07-01

Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon, top, whose stage name is Rain; Private Choi Dong-uk (Seven), left; and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol (Sangchoo). A 16-member “entertainment soldier” squad, including the three, is subject to an ongoing probe by the defense ministry as Choi and Lee were confirmed to have violated internal discipline during their out-of-barracks stay last month. / Korea Times file

Celeb-turned-soldiers undermine military unity and morale

By Park Si-soo

Private Choi Dong-uk (Seven)

Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol (Sangchoo).

An old saying goes, “A mudfish messes up clear water.”

Perhaps this is a maxim the military should take more seriously than other organizations, considering that its power hinges on strong unity of its members. In other words, a violation of internal discipline or code of conduct by some at any degree is not a problem of their own; it could badly affect the unity and morale of the entire military.

In this regard, celebrity-turned-soldiers, confirmed last week to have committed “inappropriate” behavior as active servicemen during their out-of-barracks stay, deserve strong public criticism and, if any, punishment.

Unruly soldiers 

Those in question are Private Choi Dong-uk whose stage name is Seven, and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol whose stage name is Sangchoo. They belong to an “entertainment soldier” squad comprised of 16 conscripted singers and actors, which is under the control of the Defense Media Agency. All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service since the 1950-53 Korean War with North Korea ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The star-studded squad was established in August 2000 to help boost morale of troops by hosting recreational events at military bases across the country. Choi and Lee joined the military in March and October, respectively.

On the stage, the entertainment soldiers are given full-fledged freedom to do anything they want to entertain the audiences. When the show is over, they in principle are obliged to adhere to the strict military rules. Under these rules that are equally applied to ordinary soldiers, they are banned from leaving a designated residence between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a commander’s permission and, needless to say, possessing private cell phones and wearing non-military clothing.

Wearing casual clothing and cap, Lee, left, and Choi, center, encounter an SBS TV journalist on their way from a massage parole selling sex in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on June 21. The reporter asked, “Are you an entertainer or soldier?”

In reality, however, the rules were toothless for the squad’s members. Wearing colorful casual clothing and caps, six members of the unit, including Choi and Lee, frequently chatted and texted using their hidden smartphones and roamed the streets in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, until late at night under the influence of alcohol, according to a video footage released by SBS TV’s investigative reporting program “Hyeonjang 21.” The program tracked down the team on June 21 when it hosted a morale-boosting event at a military base there.

The video also showed the two visiting a massage parlor, whose owner admitted to offering illegal sexual services, at around 3 a.m. The owner later said they didn’t buy sex because there was no woman immediately available.

They, fortunately enough, committed no illegal action in the program, but it provided enough evidence to claim that entertainment soldiers are poorly managed.

Perhaps there is no one who believes it was their first misconduct of this kind away from the barracks. The majority of people now believe that the program offered a glimpse of the extremely-relaxed military discipline of entertainment soldiers.

Nevertheless their commander seems to be only interested in saving one’s face. A defense ministry official told the program the duo visited the parlor for “knee therapy,” a claim considered to be a strong candidate for the best joke of the year.

“I was really disappointed,” said Yoon Hyun-jin, 26, a long-time fan of singer Seven. “I will stop supporting him.” Internet fan communities of the two singers were bombarded with critical comments, many of which say, “Shame on you!” or “Get a life!” Rumors had it that Seven was kicked out of his official fan community FARINELI following the incident. His management agency has denied the allegations.

Probe underway 

The defense ministry has launched an investigation into the case. A ministry spokesman said the probe will continue through the first week of July to punish those responsible for the wrongdoing.

“It’s very regrettable that there was a problem with entertainment soldiers,” said Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin during a parliamentary meeting on June 26. “Their behavior was  undoubtedly against a special management guideline for entertainment soldiers, which went into effect in January. We will decide how to deal with them based on the result of the probe.”

Asked whether he was considering disbanding the squad, the minister answered, “The entertainment soldier system was introduced for reasons, but I will review as to whether its existence is necessary.”

On the same day, defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said the ministry will “review the entire regulation system regarding celebrity soldiers including details of its fundamentals.” Following the incident, a research company conducted a survey of 2,118 people on the issue and 79 percent of them said entertainment soldiers are unnecessary.

The high support for the disbandment is attributable to a widespread perception that military duty is an equally shared ordeal among able-bodied men. With nearly all male adults having served in the armed forces — mostly at humble military barracks in remote parts of the country — it’s understandable that those caught for taking less difficulty or enjoying preferential treatment in the service are subject to public condemnation and even bullying.

In an extreme case, singer Yoo Seung-jun has found himself permanently banned from the country’s showbiz industry after he acquired U.S. citizenship in 2002 to evade military duty.

The ground for the entertainment soldier system was shaken in January by news reports that Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon whose stage name is Rain, frequently walked out of his barracks in Seoul to date with top actress Kim Tae-hee.

Online entertainment news media Dispatch, which made it headlines first, said the two frequently exchanged text messages and phone chatting before the news broke out, raising speculation that Jung used an unauthorized cell phone in the barracks.

Jung has since maintained a low-profile and is set to be discharged from the duty on July 10. But it could be deferred if he is held accountable for the latest incident. Jung was among the six wayward soldiers detected by the SBS program.

Source:koreatimes.co.kr


----------------------------------------------------


To the winners of the Attention!! My Rain event
2013.07.01

by huhuhuhu@rain-cloud.co.kr

It was previously decided that the No. 1-7 winning videos will be uploaded to Rainy Entertainment's youtube address. 

However Rainy has now requested to have the winning videos uploaded to their Facebook instead:

https://www.facebook.com/rainyofficial

Hope this is OK with all the winners.  If you think this is a problem, please contact me immediately.

By the way, some winners still haven't sent their shipping addresses to therainfen@naver.com yet.  Please do so asap so that they can mail out the prizes.

---------------------------------------------------



credit:as tagged

[willenette]

anjjo said:

Hypocrites

2013-07-01

Celeb-turned-soldiers undermine military unity and morale

By Park Si-soo

An old saying goes, “A mudfish messes up clear water.”

Perhaps this is a maxim the military should take more seriously than other organizations, considering that its power hinges on strong unity of its members. In other words, a violation of internal discipline or code of conduct by some at any degree is not a problem of their own; it could badly affect the unity and morale of the entire military.

In this regard, celebrity-turned-soldiers, confirmed last week to have committed “inappropriate” behavior as active servicemen during their out-of-barracks stay, deserve strong public criticism and, if any, punishment.

Unruly soldiers 

Those in question are Private Choi Dong-uk whose stage name is Seven, and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol whose stage name is Sangchoo. They belong to an “entertainment soldier” squad comprised of 16 conscripted singers and actors, which is under the control of the Defense Media Agency. All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service since the 1950-53 Korean War with North Korea ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The star-studded squad was established in August 2000 to help boost morale of troops by hosting recreational events at military bases across the country. Choi and Lee joined the military in March and October, respectively.

On the stage, the entertainment soldiers are given full-fledged freedom to do anything they want to entertain the audiences. When the show is over, they in principle are obliged to adhere to the strict military rules. Under these rules that are equally applied to ordinary soldiers, they are banned from leaving a designated residence between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a commander’s permission and, needless to say, possessing private cell phones and wearing non-military clothing.

In reality, however, the rules were toothless for the squad’s members. Wearing colorful casual clothing and caps, six members of the unit, including Choi and Lee, frequently chatted and texted using their hidden smartphones and roamed the streets in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, until late at night under the influence of alcohol, according to a video footage released by SBS TV’s investigative reporting program “Hyeonjang 21.” The program tracked down the team on June 21 when it hosted a morale-boosting event at a military base there.

The video also showed the two visiting a massage parlor, whose owner admitted to offering illegal sexual services, at around 3 a.m. The owner later said they didn’t buy sex because there was no woman immediately available.

They, fortunately enough, committed no illegal action in the program, but it provided enough evidence to claim that entertainment soldiers are poorly managed.

Perhaps there is no one who believes it was their first misconduct of this kind away from the barracks. The majority of people now believe that the program offered a glimpse of the extremely-relaxed military discipline of entertainment soldiers.

Nevertheless their commander seems to be only interested in saving one’s face. A defense ministry official told the program the duo visited the parlor for “knee therapy,” a claim considered to be a strong candidate for the best joke of the year.

“I was really disappointed,” said Yoon Hyun-jin, 26, a long-time fan of singer Seven. “I will stop supporting him.” Internet fan communities of the two singers were bombarded with critical comments, many of which say, “Shame on you!” or “Get a life!” Rumors had it that Seven was kicked out of his official fan community FARINELI following the incident. His management agency has denied the allegations.

Probe underway 

The defense ministry has launched an investigation into the case. A ministry spokesman said the probe will continue through the first week of July to punish those responsible for the wrongdoing.

“It’s very regrettable that there was a problem with entertainment soldiers,” said Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin during a parliamentary meeting on June 26. “Their behavior was  undoubtedly against a special management guideline for entertainment soldiers, which went into effect in January. We will decide how to deal with them based on the result of the probe.”

Asked whether he was considering disbanding the squad, the minister answered, “The entertainment soldier system was introduced for reasons, but I will review as to whether its existence is necessary.”

On the same day, defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said the ministry will “review the entire regulation system regarding celebrity soldiers including details of its fundamentals.” Following the incident, a research company conducted a survey of 2,118 people on the issue and 79 percent of them said entertainment soldiers are unnecessary.

The high support for the disbandment is attributable to a widespread perception that military duty is an equally shared ordeal among able-bodied men. With nearly all male adults having served in the armed forces — mostly at humble military barracks in remote parts of the country — it’s understandable that those caught for taking less difficulty or enjoying preferential treatment in the service are subject to public condemnation and even bullying.

In an extreme case, singer Yoo Seung-jun has found himself permanently banned from the country’s showbiz industry after he acquired U.S. citizenship in 2002 to evade military duty.

The ground for the entertainment soldier system was shaken in January by news reports that Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon whose stage name is Rain, frequently walked out of his barracks in Seoul to date with top actress Kim Tae-hee.

Online entertainment news media Dispatch, which made it headlines first, said the two frequently exchanged text messages and phone chatting before the news broke out, raising speculation that Jung used an unauthorized cell phone in the barracks.

Jung has since maintained a low-profile and is set to be discharged from the duty on July 10. But it could be deferred if he is held accountable for the latest incident. Jung was among the six wayward soldiers detected by the SBS program.

Source:koreatimes.co.kr

[willenette]

anjjo said:

Hypocrites

2013-07-01

Celeb-turned-soldiers undermine military unity and morale

By Park Si-soo

An old saying goes, “A mudfish messes up clear water.”

Perhaps this is a maxim the military should take more seriously than other organizations, considering that its power hinges on strong unity of its members. In other words, a violation of internal discipline or code of conduct by some at any degree is not a problem of their own; it could badly affect the unity and morale of the entire military.

In this regard, celebrity-turned-soldiers, confirmed last week to have committed “inappropriate” behavior as active servicemen during their out-of-barracks stay, deserve strong public criticism and, if any, punishment.

Unruly soldiers 

Those in question are Private Choi Dong-uk whose stage name is Seven, and Private First Class Lee Sang-cheol whose stage name is Sangchoo. They belong to an “entertainment soldier” squad comprised of 16 conscripted singers and actors, which is under the control of the Defense Media Agency. All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service since the 1950-53 Korean War with North Korea ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The star-studded squad was established in August 2000 to help boost morale of troops by hosting recreational events at military bases across the country. Choi and Lee joined the military in March and October, respectively.

On the stage, the entertainment soldiers are given full-fledged freedom to do anything they want to entertain the audiences. When the show is over, they in principle are obliged to adhere to the strict military rules. Under these rules that are equally applied to ordinary soldiers, they are banned from leaving a designated residence between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a commander’s permission and, needless to say, possessing private cell phones and wearing non-military clothing.

In reality, however, the rules were toothless for the squad’s members. Wearing colorful casual clothing and caps, six members of the unit, including Choi and Lee, frequently chatted and texted using their hidden smartphones and roamed the streets in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, until late at night under the influence of alcohol, according to a video footage released by SBS TV’s investigative reporting program “Hyeonjang 21.” The program tracked down the team on June 21 when it hosted a morale-boosting event at a military base there.

The video also showed the two visiting a massage parlor, whose owner admitted to offering illegal sexual services, at around 3 a.m. The owner later said they didn’t buy sex because there was no woman immediately available.

They, fortunately enough, committed no illegal action in the program, but it provided enough evidence to claim that entertainment soldiers are poorly managed.

Perhaps there is no one who believes it was their first misconduct of this kind away from the barracks. The majority of people now believe that the program offered a glimpse of the extremely-relaxed military discipline of entertainment soldiers.

Nevertheless their commander seems to be only interested in saving one’s face. A defense ministry official told the program the duo visited the parlor for “knee therapy,” a claim considered to be a strong candidate for the best joke of the year.

“I was really disappointed,” said Yoon Hyun-jin, 26, a long-time fan of singer Seven. “I will stop supporting him.” Internet fan communities of the two singers were bombarded with critical comments, many of which say, “Shame on you!” or “Get a life!” Rumors had it that Seven was kicked out of his official fan community FARINELI following the incident. His management agency has denied the allegations.

Probe underway 

The defense ministry has launched an investigation into the case. A ministry spokesman said the probe will continue through the first week of July to punish those responsible for the wrongdoing.

“It’s very regrettable that there was a problem with entertainment soldiers,” said Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin during a parliamentary meeting on June 26. “Their behavior was  undoubtedly against a special management guideline for entertainment soldiers, which went into effect in January. We will decide how to deal with them based on the result of the probe.”

Asked whether he was considering disbanding the squad, the minister answered, “The entertainment soldier system was introduced for reasons, but I will review as to whether its existence is necessary.”

On the same day, defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said the ministry will “review the entire regulation system regarding celebrity soldiers including details of its fundamentals.” Following the incident, a research company conducted a survey of 2,118 people on the issue and 79 percent of them said entertainment soldiers are unnecessary.

The high support for the disbandment is attributable to a widespread perception that military duty is an equally shared ordeal among able-bodied men. With nearly all male adults having served in the armed forces — mostly at humble military barracks in remote parts of the country — it’s understandable that those caught for taking less difficulty or enjoying preferential treatment in the service are subject to public condemnation and even bullying.

In an extreme case, singer Yoo Seung-jun has found himself permanently banned from the country’s showbiz industry after he acquired U.S. citizenship in 2002 to evade military duty.

The ground for the entertainment soldier system was shaken in January by news reports that Sgt. Jung Ji-hoon whose stage name is Rain, frequently walked out of his barracks in Seoul to date with top actress Kim Tae-hee.

Online entertainment news media Dispatch, which made it headlines first, said the two frequently exchanged text messages and phone chatting before the news broke out, raising speculation that Jung used an unauthorized cell phone in the barracks.

Jung has since maintained a low-profile and is set to be discharged from the duty on July 10. But it could be deferred if he is held accountable for the latest incident. Jung was among the six wayward soldiers detected by the SBS program.

Source:koreatimes.co.kr

[willenette]

*** "Military furlough or none at all, it's really fine - anyway, he'll be out from there next week.

***************************************************

[02-Jul-2013]The Defense Ministry, "Rain is in a situation where he can't actually get any vacation."

 

 

The Defense Ministry has admitted that singer Rain (his real name, Jung Ji-Hoon), who is about to leave the army on the 10th, has voluntarily given up his vacation and at the same time he has also become the focus of an investigation as they are working on a recent case involving entertainment soldiers including him. Therefore, he is in a situation where he can't actually get any vacation.

 

During the phone call with Daily Sports in the afternoon of the 1st, an official from the military said, "We knew that 'Jung Ji-Hoon' voluntarily gave up his vacation before the controversy got bigger. We'll state our official position on the issue soon."

 

Meanwhile, some entertainment soldiers' attempt to violate military rules - they entered a massage parlour, etc. - was shown by SBS TV's 'The World Reporters View, The Site 21' : 'The Fancy Outing of Entertainment Soldiers' aired on the 25th of last month. Since then, the whole of the entertainment soldiers who are serving in the army, has been put on emergency alert.

 

 

Credit to Daily Sports http://media.daum.net/entertain/enews/view?cateid=1032&newsid=20130702075005538&p=ilgansports&RIGHT_ENTER=R10

English translation by 화니

[willenette]

anjjo said: class="title"[quickie] I Do: Rain on the Korean Fashion for Men Blog.

~ by Cloud USA on June 28, 2013.

A video dedicated to Rain and some of his fashion throughout his 10-year career. Nicely done, sir! We like. ^@@^ Korean Star Fashion Video featuring Bi (Rain). (Source credit: Korean Fashion for Men Blog / koreanfashionformen @YT.)

[willenette]

RAIN gives up his last vacation



Article: [Exclusive] Rain voluntarily gives up his last holiday... to discharge on the 10th

Source: Star News via Nate

1. [+1,407, -44] The majority of the celebrity soldiers serving in their thirties... are all worth less than Yoo Seung Ho, who's serving as a research assistant

2. [+1,377, -93] He's going to work hard on the rest of his enlist?? Talk about taking a richard simmons ^^ㅗ The correct answer is to go back and serve 21 months all over again

3. [+1,219, -53] I don't know much about the army but if any other soldier got into the scandal he did, wouldn't he be penalized and have his discharge date delayed?

4. [+86, -2] Doesn't need a vacation when his entire service was a vacation

5. [+70, -3] Why now when he's about to discharge? Is he just now worried about his promotions? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

6. [+59, -5] ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

7. [+56, -4] Army service
Park Hyung Shik (1 week) > Rain (full service)


source : netizenbuzz

[Nancyzak]

Whatever had happened and whatever the outcome will be, I wish Rain, the very best in patiently, safely and successfully riding through the latest rough storm, back to the arms of his fans, very soon! >- .......... On the Netizenbuzz, they have one big disclaimer at their homepage that the comments do not represent the majority opinion of the Koreans and should not be taken as an example of Korean sentiment on any of the topics presented. They are just one facet, one view of the many different views that exists............. I always skim through such comments out of curiosity and chuck them out of my mind after that.

[willenette]

*** Despite of JYP's strict nature, he’s still well- liked as a mentor & a composer. He's still well-respected. I guess he is liked in general in Korea. I like him being a "mentor" of RAIN since he molded him as what he is right now. I guess without those "scolding & guidance" RAIN won't be as hardworking as he is. )

************************************************************

Ivy Says She was Scared by How Park Jin Young Scolded Rain

Ivy said Park Jin Young had softened considerably over the years, talking about how scary he had been in the past.

She spoke as a guest with EXO on the July 1 broadcast of Mnet′s The Beatles Code 2.

When asked what it felt like to meet with Park Jin Young after spending eight years apart, she said, "First of all, the ′half air, half sound′ technique was hard."

She then added, "He had changed a lot during the last eight years. I should say he′s become kinder and more gentle. He only used to be like that to the girls."

"He used to be really scary," she said. "I once appeared in Rain′s concert as a guest, and I saw him scolding Rain in front of 50 staff members, shouting, ′You go and practice properly!′ That was scary."

"These days he′s taken to smiling at his cellphone. I went to see what he was staring at, and it turned out he had been smiling at a video of dogs," she finished.

Photo credit: Mnet / enewsworld

[07-02] 130701 Mnet - The Beatles Code 2_mention Rain

credit : ratoka - RainLegend




http://www.dailymotion.com/video ... n_news#.UdKXf73h6i0

[anjjo]

willenette said: anjjo said:

Hypocrites

2013-07-01

Celeb-turned-soldiers undermine military unity and morale

By Park Si-soo

An old saying goes, “A mudfish messes up clear water.”


--------------------------------------------

Hi anjjo, thanks for sharing this. What a title of an article! They’re not yet proven guilty because the investigation is still ongoing. Prostitution in Korea is illegal, hence why the reactions are probably so “extreme”. And somehow, I could understand because Korea is a country that has a different language and words are not so easily translatable. My comment comes in the form of my own piece & stands still  I’ve been sharing since this thing broke out.

[willenette]

vickyhall said: He is sunshine in my heart, every time I see him, I feel warm and bright.

[willenette]

anjjo said:

[01-Jul-2013]Rain expresses his willingness to give up a vacation granted to sergeants with little time left in the army. He is due to leave the army on the 10th.

  2013.07.01

by 화니@rain-cloud.co.kr

(Revised) : Multiple authorities and military officials told Star News on the 1st,

According to multiple authorities and military officials told Star News on the 1st, singer Rain who is currently serving as a public information services support soldier in the Defense Media Agency, has willingly given up a third vacation which is available to each of sergeants with little time left in the army. This shows that Rain expresses his determined will to be faithful to his duties during his military service.

 

While suspicions have risen about a recent case believed attributable to slack military discipline, Rain's move could raise suspicions that he may settle a controversy. But apart from the situation, Rain has been planning to give up his vacation of 9 nights of his own accord, according to his closest advisers.

 

It has been said that Rain has taken time for self-examination since he caused controversy due to the excessive outing for dating his lover 'Kim Tae-Hee' last January.

 

Military officials said, "Vacations granted to the relevant soldiers who have recently violated military rules, have temporarily come to a stop during the inspection period, but Rain can take the rest of his regular vacation because he is about to leave the army. However, he has willingly given up his vacation and decide to be inspected by the Defense Ministry."

 

Another military official added, "Sergeant 'Jung Ji-Hoon' is very careful in everything not to cause trouble because the discharge date is not far off." and "Jung will not be directly affected by a controversy surrounding the current situation of entertainment soldiers' military service because he gets out of the army on the 10th."

 

 

Credit to Star News http://news.naver.com/main/ranking/read.nhn?mid=etc&sid1=111&rankingType=popular_day&oid=108&aid=0002230080&date=20130701&type=1&rankingSeq=2&rankingSectionId=106

English translation by 화니