3 Ethnic Koreans Make Time's 100 List

Three ethnic Koreans have made Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people: pop singer Rain, Dr. Kim Jim Yong and golf sensation Michelle Wie.

Time in its latest edition said Rain has ridden the crest of the Korean pop culture wave thanks to his angelic face, killer body and Justin Timberlake-like dance moves.

As the first Asian musician to hold a solo concert in New York's Madison Square Garden, the singer will release an English-language album this fall. He will also fly to New York next week to attend the magazine's top 100 event at Lincoln Center.

In a separate online poll by Time last week, Rain was ranked second in the "Artists and Entertainers" category with 28 percent of the votes, behind Oscar-winning film director Ang Lee.

Doctor Kim is working in Peru and other developing nations to fight tuberculosis. The Korean-American physician not only treated an epidemic that experts said was impossible to treat, but also cut by 90 percent the prices of drugs necessary for treatment.

The Hawaiian-born Wie, meanwhile, is ranked the world's No. 2 female golfer. Time said she refuses to limit herself to women's events and aims to be the first woman to play in the Masters.

Previous ethnic Koreans on the Time list include stem cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk, Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio

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