Jo Dong-won is Rain’s right hand man

With so many opportunities knocking on Rain’s (real name Jeong Ji-hoon) door, the Korean superstar needs a reliable man to help him get things in order, no?

Attentive: Jo (left) with Rain (centre) and John Mass of
William Morris Agency at a recent PC in Seoul

Enter Jo Dong-won, the Energizer Bunny’s right hand man who has been running Bi’s talent agency, J-Tune Entertainment (JTE) .

He’s the behind-the-scenes’ mover and shaker for the Korean sensation. Say, if you want to know how much Rain will be earning from his Hollywood movies, he’s the man you can go to.

Happy star: Bi is happy to have a trusted friend on his side

Of the subject, Jo said: “The important thing here is Rain's opportunity to set his foot in Hollywood. So we weren't too greedy over the fee. However, there is not much difference in how much he is paid in Korea and in Hollywood.”

We bet you’ve seen Jo before. He was at Rain’s side during the recent press conference in Seoul, as a representative of JTE. Now here’s a closer look at who Jo really is.

Who is Jo Dong-won (조동원)?

Jo has known Bi since the latter was a little-known dancer.

Jo’s foray into showbiz started when he was a university freshman. Back then, he was managing a singer named Yoon Jong-shin. Later, he became a manager for Daeyoung AV, which was once a major recording company in Korea.

Managing a star: Jo at the offices of J-Tune Entertainment
(I'm just guessing because it's not like I've been there :-P)

After a few years there, he left the company with one of the talents, who was then setting out to establish his own entertainment agency. He was none other than Park Jin-young, the founder JYP Entertainment (JYPE).

At JYPE, Jo had a hand in managing talents such a JYP, Park Ji-yoon, g.o.d, Rain, Byul, Noeul and Im Jeong-hee. In April 2007, he left JYPE and together with Rain, established JTE.

JTE’s up and coming talents

The talent management company has been looking for fresh talents to nurture since its inception. An audition call was sent out and currently, there are two acts in training for their upcoming debut.

“The two new acts will be one female singer and another male group,” Rain said in an interview in Busan recently. “If I think they are ready to perform for an audience, I will let them debut this year.”

The acts are still in their teens but it has been reported that they have excellent singing and dancing skills. Rain has high expectations of them.

Source: HanCinema & StarNews with translations by Joe Gimm
Pics credit: StarNews & Newsen

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