HCM CITY—  Korean pop idol and actor Rain will return to Việt Nam to perform in a national pageant at Phú Thọ Gymnasium in HCM City’s District 11. 

Rain, who is also known as Bi and whose real name is Jung Ji Hoon, will be on stage only 15 minutes during the final round of the Miss Việt Nam 2016 pageant on August 28. 

The 34-year-old, who is a household name in his native country and popular in Asia, will sing three songs while performing with 30 finalists. He will be accompanied by his own group of dancers.

The Korean and Vietnamese organisers, including specialists in sound and light effects, have worked hard preparing for his performance. More than 30 bodyguards will protect the singer while he is in the city.

Born in 1982, Rain was initially a dancer. He is now a solo singer with a deep, soft voice and amazing dancing skills. He is also an accomplished actor.

In 2005 he was the only non-Japanese Asian singer to be invited to the MTV Japan Awards as a performing artist. The other guests were singers Ashanti and Mariah Carey.

One year later, he held his first solo concert in the US, entitled Rainy Day in New York, at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The event sold out and he was later named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time Magazine.

His hits are “I Do”, “Bad Guys”, “How to Avoid The Sun” and “It’s Raining”, all of them wildly popular in Việt Nam.    

Rain has been called the Asian Michael Jackson.

In 2006, Rain performed in Hà Nội and HCM City as part of his Asian Tour, dazzling more than 30,000 people in the audience.

Organised by the Tiền Phong newspaper, the final round of Miss Việt Nam 2016 pageant will feature 30 contestants competing in the categories of traditional costume, evening dress and swimwear.

The jury will choose five candidates to take part in a question-and-answer session.

The winner will receive a VNĐ500 million award (US$22,700), while first and second runner-ups will take home VNĐ300 million ($13,600) and VNĐ250 million ($11,300), respectively.

It also features music stars Thu Minh, Hà Anh Tuấn, Noo Phước Thịnh, Đông Nhi, and  Vietnamese-American Tóc Tiên.

The event will be broadcast live on Việt Nam Television’s channels VTV9 and VTV1.— VNS