K-Pop Star Rain Joins South Korean Army

K-Popstar Rain takes a temporary hiatus from his stardom to join the military as required by South Korea: “The 29-year-old singer and actor gave a military salute to tearful fans Tuesday before walking into a boot camp in the city of Uijeongbu north of Seoul. Many of the hundreds of fans gathered in front of the base were from Japan and China.” Like many countries in Asia, all abled body males are required to join the armed forces for a period of time regardless of their social status.