[After Drink Talk 1]
Rain, “Family is the reason that I work hard”
“Billions of Won sponsorship, dating with Chairman’s daughter” Rain refutes rumour
I first met Rain 5 years ago, back in May 2005 when he held a concert in Tokyo. It was the second year after he released his 3rd album “It’s Raining”. After which, Rain became the most outstanding star with the success of his album activities and his drama “Full House”. Meeting the successful him in a foreign country, seeing his performance at the concert, I seemed to be able to feel his pride. I felt that he has reached the top of the mountain, and it couldn’t possibly get higher.
But in the 5 years after that, the speed of his growth was just alarming and surprising. He released his 5th album. Last month he released a special album “Back to the Basic”. Every time he excites fans with new songs and performance. In addition, he expanded his vision overseas, standing tall on the world stage as an actor and singer. He participated for the first time in a major Hollywood movie “Speed Racer” as a Korean actor. He even became the male lead in “Ninja Assassin”. Although he can’t claim total success yet, he let the whole world know him. This is him, whom I sat face to face with in a coffee shop in Kangnam, Seoul, in the evening of 18th May.
Rain looked even younger than before - grey woollen jacket, tidy hair style, diffusing tenderness and intimacy at the same time. He smiled brightly, although we met only after he finished recording KBS 2TV’s “Sketch Book” program. Rain’s eyes were sparkling. He ordered egg roll, grilled cod, bread roll and fried chop suey. We ordered soju as the food didn’t demand specific type of wine to go with.
“Drinking limit is 2 bottles of soju. No smoking”
Q: You seem to become even younger.
R: Probably I look so because I lose some weight. I will show you all an even younger look!
Q: Since you need to manage your figure, is drinking OK?
R: I exercise recently, but I don’t have to do those tough exercises like I did during “Ninja Assassin” training. I hear that suitable drinking is good for health, and that half a bottle of soju won’t do any harm. Is this too much?
Q: What is your actual drinking capacity?
R: Around 2 bottles of soju? If I drink more than that I will fall asleep (his habit after he’s drunk). Also my face tends to get redder than others.
Q: When did you have your first drink?
R: When I was at Year 3 of Junior High. (Laughed). My father ordered sweet and sour pork and sorghum wine, and for the first time he poured a cup for me. He also said to me: “A man should drink some liquor”. My father is very cool. However I have never learned smoking, and have never smoked.
Q: It seemed that you smoked in “A Love to Kill”?
R: That’s why at that time I had to practice with a cigar! Cigar is just like cigarette, you could just take it and spit it out, which helped me then. Recently I sometimes smoke a cigar if I’m too bored.
Father in charge of Finance. “Still ask for pocket money”
Q: Do you inherit your talents from your father?
R: Of course. My father had also dreamt about being an actor when he was young, but he buried this wish in his heart, because at that time you couldn’t show it. Nowadays he has become very fashionable.
The style of Rain’s father had been talked by many people. A few years ago at the award ceremony of Hyeong Hee University’s “The proud image of Hyeong Hee”, he caught people’s attention wearing a neat and tidy suit with a pony tail. He looked like Stephen Seagal of Hollywood.
Q: Do you have a special feeling towards your father?
R: The person I respect most is my father. Up to now I still let my father manage all my finances. He is in charge of all money management, and I ask him for my pocket money. I will tell him if sometimes I have to use a large sum of money, and he will get the cash for me.
Q: What is family to you?
R: It’s the reason I work hard.
He said his face turns red easily when he drinks, so the journalist slowed down in toasting. When there was still half a bottle of soju left, his face was already very, very red. But it was just the colour, he had no sign of getting drunk. He even started toasting to the journalist.
He stressed the basis of his (groundless?) argument that it is only meaningful if you pour and drink just half a cup of wine at a time. The happiness is to finish the half cup in one gulp. The empty half cup is filled with hope… seems like you are not drinking wine. So the problems are resolved here, now only rumors are surrounding him.
[After Drink Talk 2]
Rain, “It would be a lie to say that I have not considered Li Hyori sister as a woman”
The history of dating the daughter of tycoons
Q: Not dating anyone recently?
R: It seems that I have mentioned this in programs. The last time I was in love was 4 years ago. Now I really don’t have any date.
Q: Why are there rumors recently about your dating with the daughter of the Chairman of A Group?
R: A Group? This is ridiculous. I don’t even know about A Group, I haven’t even had any general meeting with them.
There is rumor in the entertainment circle lately that Rain is dating with the eldest daughter of A Group. A Group runs a restaurant in Kangnam. People saw the two of them with some others at the same table. The rumor started with a claimed witness.
Also asked him on the rumor about his dating with the eldest daughter of H Group. These are all being classified as “speculation techniques of the security houses”. He smiled helplessly.
R: It’s beyond ridiculous. I’m totally out of words. Rumors like H Group has sponsored me with billions of won, and my dating with the Chairman’s daughter. I heard all these only today. May be we only met once at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the company”
Such rumor probably came about last month when he released “Back to the Basic”. In “VIP Thanks to”, he thanked Chairman Lee Jae Hyun and VC Lee My Kyung of CJ Group, and Sin Young Ja of Lotte Shopping. Rain explained about this.
“I just want to express my gratitude to those people who gave me substantive help during that period. There isn’t any other meaning, and it’s not what people think. I got good advice from people who are successful in their own areas. This has become my greatest strength.”
Ideal type is housewife
Q: Tell us a bit about your girl friend, the one you separated from 4 years ago.
R: It seems I can’t do that. It’s not polite to do this to someone you already separated.
Q: Then just one question. Is she an artist?
R: Yes. Let’s stop here. (laughed)
Q: You mentioned that your ideal type is “a woman with double character”?
R: It’s a joke during the shows. May be men will understand what I mean. I want someone who, after fulfilling her role as a housewife, can spend the balance of the time to enjoy life with me.
Q: So when you get married, you want the girl to become a housewife?
R: Yes, correct. I like housewives. Family is one of my reasons for working hard. I hope my wife to be my quiet and gentle better half.
Q: How about Li Hyori?
R: Hyori sister? About this…. We know each other for a long time. It would be a lie if I said I have not even once considered her as the opposite sex… but our relationship isn’t that…
Once at an interview of a phone in radio program, Rain mentioned something between him and Li Hyori which was not very nice. At first people didn’t think much about it. However such strange talk was being spread out and had been widely discussed by people at that time. A prosecutor was involved and investigation showed that the rumor was made up by a primary student.
R: “So what could I do, I could only show my understanding”
[After Drink Talk 3]
Rain, “Dreaming to have a stage belonging to me and JYP all the time”
“Hip Song” plagiarism. Open and honourable
Q: What do you think about the plagiarism comment about “Hip Song”?
After “Love Song”, Rain’s “Hip Song” has generated discussions about plagiarism. People claimed that the costume and the dance choreography of “Hip Song” is very similar to Kim Sung Jai’s “Words I wanted to say”.
R: I don’t want to waste my energy on such matters, because I am clean, open, honourable and confident. I grow up watching Seo Taiji and Boys, Duce. They were and still are my idols. But that’s not plagiarism.
Q: There is also talk that you quit the fashion field and will only concentrate on your core business.
R: This is also some misunderstanding. Actually I have not involved in the operation of the business from the beginning. I am just a shareholder, and a model. But it seems many people want to make use of artists, and link the artists with the commercial business. I won’t care about those. I only feel solid when I do my own job well.
Q: You are one of the 5 finalists for the MTV Movie Award.
R: I really want to feel proud about his. I am short listed for the “Biggest Badass Star” category, but it seems the final result will only be announced around 5 or 6 June. If I could get this award, then I will be the first Korean, and the first Asian to get this. I should feel very honoured.
Q: What do you do in your spare time?
R: Watch TV and movie. But I was really impressed by the book “Secret” that I read recently. I also want to recommend to you all a book called “The success of Self-restraint” written by a Japanese author. The essence of success is to adjust your diet. Please try to read it!
Our After Drink Talk started from 9 pm after Rain finished his TV show recording. It’s now almost midnight. The two bottles of soju were empty. The wine was shared by 4 of us, including the journalist, but it seemed Rain himself finished one bottle. Also, the colour of his face had returned to normal.
The next TV drama is “Fugitive”
Q: Choose 5 people who guided you in your life
R: My father, mother, JYP, Director Park Chan Wook, Author Lee Kyung Hee.
Rain mentioned the above 5 people without hesitation. JYP discovered him. Director Park gave him an added role “actor” on his resume. Author Lee worked in sync with him in a hit drama.
Q: What is your dream in future?
R: Want to control the world one more time. (laughed). No matter what happens in future, I want to have a stage show with JYP together. That’s what he said too. When I have achieved these two things, then I will hold my hands tight once again.
Q: Isn’t it like that now?
R: There’s still a long way to go.
Q: Next work?
R: Should be a drama called “Fugitive”. I play the role of a gallant, boastful detective. And I will have my Japan tour in July.
Rain did not show any tiredness in this 3 hour marathon interview. To questions such as his girl friend 4 years ago and even more difficult questions, he gave his honest reply. It’s enough to show his humbleness as a world star.
R: I finally started to see the peak after much effort, I don’t want to distract my heart to look at other places. I still have great ambition now.”
