Wednesday, January 9, 2013

UPDATE: Korean "Speed Racer" Star "Rain" Punished by Military for Dates With Kim Tae Hee



SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Defense Ministry has decided to confine pop star Rain to his base for a week for meeting with an actress while on duty.


The penalty is the lightest a South Korean soldier can face. Paparazzi photos recently showed Rain with actress Kim Tae-hee when he wasn’t allowed to have private meetings while outside his base for official duties such as recording and performing.

Rain is fulfilling his two-year mandatory military service as an “entertainment soldier.” His meetings with Kim raised suspicions that the military was coddling popular entertainers with special favors because they help enhance its image. Officials deny it.


Rain has starred in the Hollywood films Speed Racer and Ninja Assassin. TIME magazine named him one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2011.

Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2013/01/08/pop-star-rain-disciplined-for-meeting-with-actress/#ixzz2HVtxI0Go


UPDATE: While fans were worried that Rain could face a harsh penalty for violating several rules including meeting Kim Tae Hee while he was supposed to be working in his studio, the quiet netizens broke their silence when the punishment he received seemed “weak,” “unfair,” or seemed like additional special treatment given to celebrity soldiers. Many netizens shared stories of how regular soldiers had to struggle and endure the strict rules of the army, sometimes even when a family member dies. The outrage of the netizens and the negative attention thrown on Rain and celebrity soldiers as a result of this scandal have shed light on what some consider to be “special treatment” of celebrity soldiers, as well as pushed some celebrities to reconsider their options while they await enlistment. However, in an article interviewing various anonymous male actors/singers who are planning to enlist, the interviewed celebrities said that they would rather avoid the drama in light of Rain’s controversy and just serve two quiet years on active duty.

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