K-pop superstar Rain, or Jung Ji-hoon, was officially discharged from his mandatory military duties on Wednesday after nearly two years of service. The entertainer entered the military in October 2011 and served as a PR officer for the Defense Media Agency.

As a celebrity soldier, Rain was caught in a string of controversies during his service that raised the question of whether disciplinary actions would force the entertainment solider to be discharged later than originally scheduled. The military’s alleged special treatment of celebrity soldiers had been under close scrutiny and criticism by the public.

The most recent scandal involved violating on-duty military rules by drinking and visiting an erotic massage parlor with fellow entertainment soldiers after a concert.

Two weeks ago, Rain and several other active duty PR soldiers including singer Se7en, Sanchu of the group Mighty Mouth, KCM (Kang Chang-Mo), and Kim Kyung-hyun from group “The Cross” were filmed wearing civilian clothes, using cellphones and drinking alcohol. Se7en and Sanchu were also filmed leaving an erotic massage parlor at 3 a.m.

Last year, Rain also came under fire following reports of going on dates with popular actress Kim Tae-hee while on official military duty. According to the Defense Ministry, Rain spent 71 days off duty last year, compared to the average of 43 days given to non-celebrity soldiers. The singer was reportedly sentenced to seven days of confinement for the incident.

Despite all the controversies surrounding the celebrity’s commitment to his military service, Rain is scheduled to return to his fans and continue his activities under his new agency, Cube Entertainment, joining label mates Beast, 4Minute and G.NA among others.

Cube Entertainment CEO Hong Seung-seong, who was one of the first to train Rain, announced at the end of May that the singer, actor and producer agreed sign an exclusive contract with the agency to be effective the day of his military discharge.

Hong stated that fans would become witnesses to the star’s second wave and experience his potential to become the next “world-class entertainer.”

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)