Feel the vibes

Rain and Lee Byung Hun ride the Korean pop culture wave with aplomb.

AH ... South Korea. The land of kimchi (fermented vegetable appetiser), shabu-shabu (steamboat), Jinro (Korean distiller), the 2002 FIFA World Cup (well, half of it, anyway), and taekwondo. These days, though, the republic is not only increasingly known for its electronic gadgets but also, an exploding pop culture scene with a popularity that is spreading like wildfire across the world.

This is thanks in part to a robust entertainment industry with a knack for coming up with critically-acclaimed movies and tear-jerking TV dramas that feature a seemingly endless stream of luscious actresses (all of whom seem to be able to burst into tears at will), and heartthrob male artistes with the ability to make thousands of girls swoon and go weak at the knees.

Malaysians got to catch Rain's spectacular showmanship during his Rain's Coming concert at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, in 2007.

Of the latter, more testosterone-fuelled group, two names stand out– Jung Ji Hoon (better known as Rain) and Lee Byung Hun. One is a pop idol who can drive girls into a frenzy with a single dance step, and the other's an acclaimed veteran actor with countless awards and who has appeared in some of the biggest Korean box-office hits ever.

They have little else in common apart from having acted in Hollywood blockbuster movies (Rain in last year's Speed Racer and Lee in the upcoming G.I. Joe) and being among their country's top international celebrities.

Well, now they have another thing in common – the two will be the focal point of Discovery Channel’s new documentary Hip Korea. The series chronicles the rise of the Korean pop culture wave through the personal journeys of these two superstars.

Hip Korea contains two hour-long episodes. The first is Seoul Vibes – Jihoon Jung that premieres on Discovery Channel tomorrow while the second instalment, Seoul Savvy – Byung Hun Lee, airs in June.

Hip Korea is a broadcast initiative by Discovery Networks in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and is co-produced with Bang Singapore Pte Ltd. The series will no doubt be a boost to the Koreans' desire to reinvent their capital city as the "Soul of Asia, a city of design and culture".

Unstoppable Rain

Rain plays ninja assassin Raizo in the upcoming feature directed by James McTeigue. The role allows the Korean heartthrob to flex his muscles, literally.

'Hip Korea: Seoul Vibes' follows the launch of Rain's latest and fifth Korean album 'Rainism', and showcases his talent and skills as a musician and performing artiste.

If there was any doubt in my mind about Rain's ability to entertain, it was banished when the singer-songwriter staged a concert at Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, in January 2007. During that event I witnessed two sides to the superstar. By day, he was mild-mannered Jung Ji Hoon who answered interview questions with a shy smile and a quiet, humble demeanour. But by night, he turned into the wild dance machine that the performer is so famous for, electrifying the stadium with his slick moves and charming looks.

Brief as my encounter with the laconic hunk was, I was thoroughly convinced that the young chap was truly meant to be a star – a far cry from his days of hunger and poverty living with his parents and his younger sister.

He has not forgotten the hard life nor his late mother's words of wisdom. In a previous interview, the 26-year-old Seoul native proudly stated: "My mum always taught me: Work hard, be humble, and be patient. That has become my motto." (His mother never lived to see her son's success as she passed away just before his 2002 singing debut.)

Born on June 25, 1982, Rain ("Bi" in Korean; his dancing apparently was redolent of a rainy day) spent most of his youth honing his dancing skills. He made his foray into the entertainment world in 2000 when he was recruited by the acclaimed JYP Entertainment company, founded by acclaimed producer and artiste Park Jin Young.

After spending several years as a backup dancer, Rain finally released his first album, Bad Guy, in 2002, and in the same year made his acting debut in the drama series Orange.

In a couple of years the young guy became a well-known star in his home nation but it wasn't until his starring role in Full House (opposite the popular Song Hye Kyo) in 2004 that Rain truly gained international stardom.

The TV show about the romance between a famous actor and a regular woman, which was shown in countries all over Asia, including Malaysia, turned out to be one of the highest-rated Korean series. Rain was also much-hailed for his performance in the show, winning a best actor award at the KBS Awards in 2005.

Striking the iron while it was hot, Rain's third album – the 2004 It's Raining – became his most successful album to date, topping most of the Asian charts. It also provided an impetus to the wildly successful Rain’s Coming world tour that kicked off in 2006. The concert series saw Rain enthralling audiences from South Korea to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, United States, Singapore and, of course, Malaysia.

Rain's spectacular achievements in 2006 included the release of his fourth Korean album, Rain's World, as well as his first film role in the Park Chan Wook romantic comedy, I'm a Cyborg, But That’s OK. Memorably, he made it to Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Last August, Rain joined well-known Chinese entertainers to sing Beijing, I Love Beijing during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Now that he has conquered Asia, Rain is currently setting his sight on Hollywood. He has already appeared in one summer blockbuster – as a rookie racer in last year's Speed Racer directed by the Wachowski brothers. His latest Hollywood assignment is playing the title role of Ninja Assassin (set for release this year).

At the 2008 San Diego Comic Con in the US, Rain told About.com Hollywood Movies that he had learnt taekwondo before the film.

"I learned taekwondo, it's Korean martial arts. And for this movie, I learned ninja expressions, ninja techniques and ninja martial arts. You’re going to like it."

And we like his fighting spirit.

'Hip Korea: Seoul Vibes' premieres on Discovery Channel (Astro Channel 551) at 8pm tomorrow, and encores on Tuesday at 6am and 11am. 'Hip Korea: Seoul Savvy' will be aired in June.

Source: star-ecentral.com
Compiled by MICHAEL CHEANG
Credit: rainalice@rainlegend // jinijung@soompi.com