Rain, Kim Yu-na Candidates for 100 Most Influential People List

K-pop singer Rain and Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na are among 200 candidates for this year's list of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

Rain has been on the candidates' list every year since 2006. Although he has ended up placing first or second in the online poll each year, he has appeared on the final 100 list only once, in 2006.

"Rain has long been a phenomenon in his native South Korea, but his popularity in the U.S. is growing after a successful international concert tour in support of his latest album, 'Rainism,' included several U.S. stops," Time said. "He has crossover appeal too -- he showed his acting chops with recent roles in 'Speed Racer' and 'Ninja Assassin.'" 

On Kim, the magazine reported, "Kim earned South Korea's first ever Olympic figure skating medal, a gold one at that, during the Vancouver Games. Her graceful command of the ice -- her Olympic programs earned the highest scores from judges since a new scoring system was instituted in 2006 -- is single-handedly making skating the sport to watch in her golf-obsessed nation."

Film director James Cameron and pop icon Lady Gaga and are some of the other influential figures on the candidates' list this year.