South Korean pop icon Rain has been confined to barracks for a

South Korean pop icon Rain has been confined to barracks for a week, the defence ministry said today, after his dating put him on the wrong side of the country’s strict military service rules.

“Under a decision by the disciplinary commission of his unit, Rain will be confined to his barracks to spend seven days of repentance,” a defense ministry spokesman said.

The 30-year-old singer is a little over halfway through the two-year military service that is mandatory for all able-bodied South Korean men.

The country’s well-oiled celebrity gossip machine went into overdrive last week when it was confirmed that Rain had begun dating Kim Tae-Hee, 32, a TV drama star with a massive following in Japan.

But fan excitement was tempered by questions over how the couple had managed numerous reported dates. During their military service men are given little free time, even for family visits.

“He breached regulations against having private meetings while on official duty,” the ministry spokesman said.

The punishment was one of the lightest options open to the disciplinary committee.

Source www.telegraph.co.uk