Rain Nominated in Time's Poll on Most Influential People

Singer Rain may become a global celebrity that will make Korea known throughout the world. He has been named a candidate on a poll being conducted by the U.S. magazine Time to choose the most influential people of this year.

The magazine is asking readers to vote on who they think are the world's most influential people in five categories, with a different poll category featured each week. Into its fourth week, the poll is now being conducted in the "Artists and Entertainers" category.

Rain is one of only three Asian candidates along with director Ang Lee and actress Zhang Ziyi, which is certain to make Koreans feel proud. Other candidates include U.S. actors George Clooney, Clint Eastwood and Philip Seymour Hoffman, talk show host Jon Stewart, singers Kanye West and Daddy Yankee, and writer J.K. Rowling, who created "Harry Potter".

Rain is currently in second place with 32 percent of the votes, following Ang Lee with 38 percent.

So far, three polls have been conducted, in the "Heroes & Icons" category, which included Korean-American golf prodigy Michelle Wie as a candidate, "Leader & Revolutionaries" category, and "Builders & Titans" category. The last poll, "Scientists & Thinkers", will be conducted next week.

With the results of the polls scheduled to be announced on June 1, there is high expectation that Rain will once again prove himself to be a global star in the making.

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