What is Jung Ji-hoon's Net Worth?
Jung Ji-hoon, professionally known as "Rain," is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, and record producer who has a net worth of $20 million. Jung Ji-hoon is best known for starring as the main character – a disillusioned assassin seeking retribution against his former mentor – in the 2009 martial arts film "Ninja Assassin." Ji-hoon won an MTV Movie Award for his work in the film – the first Korean to be honored with the award. Jung has also blazed new trails for Korean musicians with his K-pop and rhythm & blues hits, such as "Love Story."
Early Years
Jung Ji-hoon was born on June 25, 1982 in Seosan, South Korea. At the age of 18, he was recruited by JYP Entertainment Corporation, a South Korean talent agency and record label. Later that year, Ji-hoon's mother died as a result of complications from diabetes.
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Music
A vocalist who plays piano and guitar, Jung Ji-hoon started his career in 1998 as a member of the boy band "Fanclub." Two albums released by the band proved unsuccessful, and Jung decided to release a solo album in 2002 titled "Bad Guy." The album went on to sell over 138,000 copies and became the 45th best-selling album of the year.
From 2002 to 2003, Ji-hoon hosted the Korean Broadcasting System music program "Music Bank." In 2003, he released his second solo album, "How to Avoid the Sun." The following year, his third album, "It's Raining," was released, and he embarked on his first promotional tour – "The Rainy Day Tour" – which consisted of 14 concerts in eight countries. One leg of the tour brought Jung to the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he performed a two-day concert. Concert tickets sold out within just days, and over 10,000 people attended, making it the largest concert in the city given by a Korean performer. Well-known artists who were featured at the concert included American rapper and record producer Sean Love Coombs and American rhythm & blues singer Omarion. The album sold over a million copies in Asia.
In 2006, Ji-hoon released his debut Japanese album, "Eternal Rain" which peaked at #14 on Japan's Oricon Albums Chart. The following month, he released the album "Rain's World." It went on to become the ninth best-selling album of the year in South Korea. To promote the album, he held a free concert at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which was attended by 40,000 people.
Ji-hoon's second concert tour – "The Rain's Coming World Tour" – began in December 2006 in Seoul. It went on through 2007, taking him through Asia and to the United States, Australia, and Canada.
In May 2007, Jung became the first Korean performer to hold a concert at the Tokyo Dome, an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Japan. Later that year, he ended his contract with JYP Entertainment and founded his own Korean music label, J. Tune Entertainment.
In 2008, Ji-hoon released his album "Rainism," which contained the hit single "Love Story." The following year, he set out on his third concert tour – "The Legend of Rainism Tour."
Jung completed "The Best Show Tour" in 2011 before beginning his 21-month compulsory Korean military service.
In September 2013, Ji-hoon was contracted by Cube DC, a South Korean entertainment company, and it was announced that he would be embarking on his first tour since being discharged from military service. "The Zepp Tour: Story of Rain" included ten concerts in four Japanese cities.
The album "Rain Effect" was released in 2014, and the following year, Jung announced that he and the executives of Cube DC had mutually agreed to part ways.
Ji-hoon's "Squall World Tour" began in 2015. Two years later, he released the album "My Life," and the song's video went viral on YouTube in South Korea. In the years that followed, Jung partnered with artists such as Zico and Lee Hyori to produce a variety of musical collaborations.
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Television
Jung made his acting debut in the 2003 dramatic South Korean television series "Sang Doo! Let's Go To School." He went on to star in numerous other South Korean television series, such as "Full House" in 2004 and "A Love to Kill" in 2005.
In 2008, Ji-hoon appeared on the American late-night news satire television show "The Colbert Report," on which he engaged in a dance-off with Stephen Colbert.
Jung starred as a wealthy private investigator in the Korean Broadcasting Station's "The Fugitive: Plan B" in 2010 and in the Seoul Broadcasting System's musical drama series "My Lovely Girl" in 2014.
Additional television shows that starred Ji-hoon were the 2015 Chinese television series "Diamond Lover," which was a huge success, the 2016 dramatic series "Come Back Mister," "Sketch" in 2017, "Welcome 2 Life" in 2019, and "Ghost Doctor" in 2022.
In 2020, Jung joined the South Korean reality competition television series "I-Land" as a judge and mentor.
Film
Jung Ji-hoon made his film debut in the romantic comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK" in 2006. The film won the Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Jung made his Hollywood debut in 2008 when he starred in his first English-language picture, the sports action comedy film "Speed Racer" starring Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci. The following year, he starred in the martial arts film "Ninja Assassin" in which he portrayed the film's main character, Raizo, a disillusioned assassin looking for retribution against his former mentor. He won an MTV Movie Award for his work in the film, the first Korean bestowed with the honor.
In 2012, Ji-hoon starred in the South Korean aviation film "R2B: Return to Base" and, in 2019, he portrayed Uhm Bok-dong in the film based on the cyclist's life.
Accolades
Jung Ji-hoon has won six Mnet Asian Music Awards, three Golden Disc Awards, nine KBS Drama Awards, and two Baeksang Arts Awards – one for "Most Popular TV Actor" and one for "Best New Actor."
Jung was listed as one of "The Most Beautiful People" in the world by "People" magazine in 2007.
In 2008, the daily Korean-language newspaper Sports Dong-A named Ji-Hoon third among the 100 leaders of the Korean entertainment industry. On three occasions, Time magazine named Jung one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
In 2010, Ji-hoon won the Biggest Badass award at the MTV Movie Awards for his role in the film "Speed Racer."
Philanthropy
Jung has donated millions of dollars to worthy causes around the world. In addition to providing money for water wells and playgrounds to be constructed in Cambodia, he has donated a percentage of tour proceeds to the care of children orphaned by AIDS and helped to raise funds to find missing children.
Personal Life
Ji-hoon married South Korean actress Kim Tae-hee in 2017, and they have two children.
