Conscripted K-pop star Rain was discharged from military service on Wednesday, receiving a warm welcome from his fans.

The 31-year-old singer, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, served for 21 months as an "entertainment soldier" for an Army unit that provides TV and radio programming that promotes the military.

All able-bodied men should serve roughly two years in the South Korean military, which is still technically at war with North Korea.

Over 100 people, mostly from Japan, and reporters flocked to the front gate of the defense ministry in Seoul in the early morning to see him. Rain shortly greeted his fans and then left. 

Rain is one of the most popular male celebrities in South Korea and a well-known star in other Asian countries, and has appeared in several TV series and films.

The singer was in trouble earlier this year after he was spotted on a date with Kim Tae-Hee, a top actress with a massive following in Japan, and faced disciplinary action. (Yonhap News)