"I was not the person that canceled the concerts," he said through an interpreter.

South Korean pop star and actor Rain testified he had every intention of performing in Hawaii and other U.S. states, but a series of abrupt concert cancellations were out of his control.

"I was not the person that canceled the concerts," he said through an interpreter. "I would love to perform in North America."

Rain made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in a room packed with giddy female fans in a civil trial stemming from the cancellation of his scheduled June 15, 2007, concert in Honolulu.Hawaii-based Click Entertainment Inc. alleges Rain and his managers breached a contract and defrauded it of $500,000 in licensing fees, plus nearly $1 million in other expenses to stage the event.

Sporting a black suit and long bangs that nearly covered his eyes, Rain was poised, polite and seemed at ease as he answered questions for 90 minutes in Korean through a court interpreter. He introduced himself in English after being sworn in.

"I am Jung Ji-hoon and I perform as Rain. Aloha," he told the court with a smile.

Before entering the courthouse, Rain flashed a "shaka" hang-loose sign to fans and was handed another lawsuit over his canceled concert in Los Angeles. He let the document fall to the ground. The 26-year-old Rain said he really wanted to perform at Aloha Stadium but couldn't make it for reasons he had no hand in. "It was regrettable," he said.

Rain said he didn't know why his Hawaii concert was canceled, until much later when he was told by his handlers that the stage was not adequate and there were security concerns.Rain said he wants to perform in the United States, especially in Hawaii as soon as possible, if security can be assured.

When asked what his role was in canceling his five concerts across North America, Rain said he doesn't make planning decisions. That's left up to his management team at the Seoul-based agency JYP Entertainment, he said.

Rain also said he wasn’t aware how much Click lost or how much he earned in 2007. "Several million?" asked Click attorney Eric Seitz. "I am just concentrating on my work," Rain said. "I don't manage my money." An official at JYP testified earlier in the day that Rain had earned about $1.2 million a month from his music, TV and film work.

Byun Sang-bong, JYP's vice president and chief financial officer, blamed the cancellation and other problems on the promotions company Star M. He said a legal copyright challenge in Nevada over the name "Rain" was another issue the company faced at the time. But Seitz emphasized to the seven-member jury that a motion for a preliminary injunction against Rain was never granted, allowing the performer to freely perform in the United States.

Seitz has accused Rain and JYP of never intending to perform in Hawaii. Rain was asked whether he was aware that Click had paid for his first-class airfare, a presidential suite at a luxury hotel, limousine and a private party at a nightclub, all of which were required by his management. He responded the perks were requested by his manager, not him.

Seitz pressed Rain about why none of his band's equipment was shipped to Hawaii and why his large group of dancers and band members had not applied for work visas. About 90 people were on Rain’s travel roster, including his father. Rain said planning is entirely done by his management team, and that his job is solely to prepare for performances.
"I was practicing with dancers. I was packing my bags," Rain said. - AP