South Korean pop singer Rain gives a military salute to his fans before he enters the army to serve in front of an army training center in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, South Korea in this October 11, 2011 file photo. AP
SEOUL, South Korea—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.