Around 1998, the year he turned 16, he took his first step into the music world as a member of the six-member group Fan Club from Taehung Planning. Afterward he worked as a backup dancer for Park Jin-young and Park Ji-yoon.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 20, he debuted as a solo artist on JYP with the first album Bad Guy. Together with the follow-up, he reached the top of popularity in a short time.
In 2003 the second album’s title track “How to Avoid the Sun” rose to the upper ranks of the pop charts. In 2004 he played Lee Young-jae in KBS2’s Full House, and at the end of the year he won three awards at the KBS Drama Awards.
In 2005 he held his first solo concert, three years after his debut. In 2006 he was named for the first time to Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2007 his five-year contract with JYP ended, and he became the first Korean singer to hold a solo concert at Tokyo Dome in Japan.
In 2008 he entered the U.S. market with the Hollywood film Speed Racer and released the fifth album Rainism. In 2009 he became the first Asian to take the lead in a Hollywood film, in Ninja Assassin.
In 2010 he received an active-duty notice but postponed it because he was enrolled in graduate school. In 2011 he became the first Asian entertainer to be named to the Time 100 twice, and that autumn he enlisted for active duty. Around 2012 he served in the Defense Media Agency’s PR support unit.
In early 2013 he officially acknowledged his relationship with the actress Kim Tae-hee, and he was discharged that summer. In 2014 he returned with the sixth full-length album Rain Effect. In 2015 he founded Rain Company. In 2016 he appeared in SBS’s Come Back Mister.
In 2017 he married Kim Tae-hee, and their first daughter was born that autumn. In 2018 he played Kang Dong-su in JTBC’s Sketch. In 2019 the film Race to Freedom: Um Bok Dong opened and a second daughter was born.
In 2020 he was active in the mixed group SSAK3 with Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Hyori. That year his 2017 song “Gang” also rose back up the music charts amid the “one Gang a day” craze. In 2021 he returned with the mini album PIECES by RAIN. In 2022 he played the doctor Cha Young-min in tvN’s Ghost Doctor.
In 2023 he donated 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea and announced STILL RAINING, a run of solo concerts in the United States. In 2024 he played the bodyguard Seo Do-yoon in Disney+’s Red Swan. In 2025 he was cast as the villain Baek Jeong in Netflix’s Bloodhounds season 2. In 2026 Bloodhounds season 2 was released.
Rain (born Jun 25, 1982) debuted with the first album Bad Guy in 2002, the year he turned 20, and rose to stardom in a short time. In 2009, the year he turned 27, he became the first Asian to take the lead in a Hollywood film, and in 2020, the year he turned 38, “Gang” made a comeback on the charts.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
He was in Fan Club, a six-member group from Taehung Planning (now JYP Entertainment). Afterward he worked as a backup dancer for Park Jin-young and Park Ji-yoon.
Source 01 · Star News (Korean) · 15 years since debut, from fan club to solo · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Wikitree (Korean) · His Taehung Planning days · opens in a new tabHe debuted as a solo artist on JYP Entertainment with the first album Bad Guy. Together with the follow-up “Instead of Saying Goodbye,” he reached the top of popularity in a short time.
The second album’s title track “How to Avoid the Sun” rose to the upper ranks of the pop charts.
Source 05 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Pop chart (Nov. 7, 2003) · opens in a new tabSource 06 · Maeil Business (Korean) · Pop chart (Dec. 4, 2003) · opens in a new tab The day of release is not confirmed in news reports. It first appears on a chart in early November.He starred with Song Hye-kyo and acted under his real name, Jung Ji-hoon.
Source 07 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · “I am Jung Ji-hoon when I act” · opens in a new tabSource 08 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Full House TV review · opens in a new tabFor Full House he won the Popularity Award, the Best Couple Award (with Song Hye-kyo) and an excellence acting award.
Source 09 · Star News (Korean) · Three awards at the 2004 KBS Drama Awards · opens in a new tabSource 10 · Kukmin Ilbo (Korean) · Go Doo-shim sweeps the KBS and MBC drama awards · opens in a new tabHe held his first solo concert at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, three years after his debut. About 5,000 people attended.
Source 11 · Segye Ilbo (Korean) · First solo concert · opens in a new tabHis name was on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Source 12 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Time 100 selection (2006) · opens in a new tab The date of the announcement is not confirmed in news reports. His attendance at a party in New York on May 8 (local time) is confirmed.His contract with JYP, where he had been for five years since his 2002 debut, ended and he worked without an agency.
Source 13 · Star News (Korean) · JYP contract expires · opens in a new tabHe performed at Tokyo Dome in Japan on his Rain’s Coming world tour. About 40,000 people came, according to the organizer.
Source 14 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Tokyo Dome concert · opens in a new tabIt is a film by the Wachowskis and his Hollywood debut. About 60,000 people saw it nationwide on opening day.
Source 15 · Newsen (Korean) · Speed Racer opening day · opens in a new tabHe returned as a singer after two years with the fifth album Rainism. It had 100,000 pre-orders.
Source 16 · Seoul Shinmun (Korean) · 100,000 pre-orders for Rainism · opens in a new tabHe was the first Asian to take the lead in a Hollywood film. In Korea it passed 1 million admissions 12 days after opening, and in North America it ranked 10th at the box office on the weekend of Dec. 11–13.
Source 17 · Newsen (Korean) · “Happy to play the lead in Hollywood” · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Edaily (Korean) · Ninja Assassin passes 1 million · opens in a new tabSource 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Ninja Assassin 10th at the U.S. box office · opens in a new tabHe received an active-duty notice dated Sept. 28 but postponed it because he was enrolled in graduate school.
Source 20 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Enlistment postponed · opens in a new tabHe was on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world again after 2006, making him the first Asian entertainer to be selected twice.
Source 21 · Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Time 100 for a second time · opens in a new tabHe enlisted for active duty at the 306th Replacement Battalion in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi.
Source 22 · Hankyoreh (Korean) · Active-duty enlistment · opens in a new tabHe was chosen for the Defense Media Agency’s PR support unit and served there.
Source 23 · Newsis (Korean) · Chosen for the PR support unit · opens in a new tabHe officially acknowledged that he was dating the actress Kim Tae-hee.
Source 24 · Donghaeng Media Sidae (Korean) · Two years together · opens in a new tabHe was discharged from the Defense PR Support Unit after enlisting in October 2011.
Source 25 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Discharge, fan meeting postponed · opens in a new tabHe returned as a singer after four years with the double title tracks “30 SEXY” and “LA SONG.”
Source 26 · TV Report (Korean) · Interview on the sixth album comeback · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Sixth album schedule · opens in a new tabHe set up Rain Company, which uses the American agent system, and signed an exclusive contract with it from Oct. 1.
Source 28 · Herald POP (Korean) · Founding of Rain Company · opens in a new tabHe appeared in a story about two schoolmates in the afterlife who return to this world as completely different people.
Source 29 · News1 (Korean) · Come Back Mister premiere · opens in a new tabAfter more than five years together, they held the wedding at Gahoe-dong Cathedral in Seoul.
Source 30 · Sports Seoul (Korean) · Star couples and building investment · opens in a new tabA daughter was born.
Source 31 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Birth of a first daughter · opens in a new tabHe played Kang Dong-su in a crime action drama about people trying to change a predetermined future.
Source 32 · Top Star News (Korean) · Sketch, Kang Dong-su · opens in a new tabSource 33 · Top Star News (Korean) · Sketch premiere · opens in a new tabHe appeared in a film about the life of Um Bok-dong, who beat Japan’s top rider and became the first Korean to win.
Source 34 · Top Star News (Korean) · Kim Tae-hee’s recent news · opens in a new tabA second daughter was born.
Source 35 · Xportsnews (Korean) · Birth of a second daughter · opens in a new tabHe appeared as “B-Ryong” on MBC’s Hangout with Yoo. “Beach Again” was No. 1 on the Gaon digital and streaming charts for five straight weeks.
Source 36 · YTN (Korean) · SSAK3 formed · opens in a new tabSource 37 · Maeil Business (Korean) · “Beach Again” No. 1 for five weeks · opens in a new tabHis 2017 song “Gang” returned to the Melon real-time chart at No. 99 amid the “one Gang a day” craze.
Source 38 · TenAsia (Korean) · “Gang” revival on music charts · opens in a new tabSource 51 · Maeil Business (Korean) · “Gang” released in 2017 · opens in a new tabHe returned with a new mini album and kept up his activity.
Source 39 · Break News (Korean) · PIECES by RAIN released · opens in a new tabHe played Cha Young-min, a thoracic surgeon whose spirit enters a resident’s body.
Source 40 · Newsen (Korean) · Ghost Doctor premiere · opens in a new tabSource 41 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Ghost Doctor ends · opens in a new tabSource 42 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Ghost Doctor first-episode rating · opens in a new tabHe donated 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea, continuing donations he has made since 2004.
Source 43 · News1 (Korean) · 100 million won to the Community Chest of Korea · opens in a new tabSource 44 · Chosun Ilbo (Korean) · Donation to the Community Chest · opens in a new tabHe planned solo concerts in Atlantic City on Nov. 22 and Las Vegas on the 25th.
Source 45 · Edaily (Korean) · STILL RAINING announced · opens in a new tab This is based on his agency’s announcement in September 2023 and is not confirmed in articles from the concert days.He starred with Kim Ha-neul as Seo Do-yoon, a bodyguard for a chaebol family.
Source 46 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Red Swan press conference · opens in a new tabHe joined as the villain Baek Jeong, who draws the leads into an illegal boxing league. Sports Donga reports it as his first villain role.
Source 48 · Star News (Korean) · Cast in Bloodhounds season 2 · opens in a new tabSource 49 · Herald Muse (Korean) · The villain Baek Jeong · opens in a new tabSource 47 · Sports Donga (Korean) · Bloodhounds, a first villain role previewed · opens in a new tabNewsis reports that season 2 was released on Netflix and ranked second on the non-English shows list within three days. In an interview after the finale he spoke about playing his first villain.
Source 50 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Bloodhounds season 2 release confirmed · opens in a new tabSource 52 · Newsis (Korean) · Bloodhounds season 2 finale interview · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1998–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Music · South Korea
Jun 25, 1982 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1982: the year of the event minus 1982, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.28 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.