Rain chosen as influential person by TIME Magazine

Korean superstar Rain [J.Tune Entertainment]

Asian pop star Rain was named one of the 100 most influential people in 2011 by U.S. TIME magazine, making him the first Asian to make the list twice.

According to TIME's official webpage on Friday, the Korean singer was the online poll winner for the 2011 TIME 100 beating out United States President Barack Obama and international pop songstress Lady GaGa on the Internet-based survey.

His first recognition on the poll came in 2006 and has since topped TIME's online survey in 2007, 2008 and 2009 but failed to make it into the actual list.

Other notable mentions on this year's list include Hilary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Aung San Suu Kyi and entertainers Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Sting, Mia Wasikowska and Mark Wahlberg.

Rain will visit New York on April 24 to attend the official party of the TIME 100 and return to Korea four days later to continue shooting his latest film "Red Muffler (tentative title)."

Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, has been considered one of biggest stars in Korea and throughout Asia since the start to his solo singing career in 2002. He has also expanded his career into acting, playing several small screen roles such as "Sang Doo! Let's Go to School" and "Full House."

He then made his Hollywood debut in 2008, through the Wachowski Brothers' action pic "Speed Racer" and landed the lead role in martial arts film "Ninja Assassin" a year later.

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Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@