“Amazing Korea!”
Hollywood star Tom Cruise (64) has set foot in Korea with his new film ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’. This marks his 12th visit.
At a press conference for the film ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ (hereafter ‘Mission: Impossible 8’) held at Lotte Tower in Jamsil, Seoul on the afternoon of the 8th, Cruise began by saying, “A truly beautiful country, a country that moves me every time, Korea.”
This is Cruise's 12th visit to Korea, the most among Hollywood stars. He first visited Korea for the film ‘Interview with the Vampire’ (1994) and has consistently met with Korean fans since then.
He expressed, “Korean citizens always warmly welcome me and treat me kindly. I am happy and honored to return with my beloved new work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to entertain many people. I participated as a producer and actor, and I poured everything into this project. I want to share it with you all,” showing his affection.
He continued, “Movies are my dream, and coming to Korea is the same,” adding, “It has been a dream of mine to come to Korea for a very long time. I achieved that, and it’s hard to believe it’s already my 12th time. Is this real? It also means that my film career has been long. I am proud to share this work, which is my dream and goal, with Korean fans once again,” smiling as he exclaimed, “Amazing Korea!”
Cruise, who arrived in Korea on the 7th, warmly greeted fans for about 20 minutes before leaving the airport. As fans outside the airport cheered “Tom” in a massive crowd, Cruise stopped his car once again with a bright smile to greet the fans, took out a pen to sign autographs, and took selfies with fans' phones, showcasing unparalleled fan service.
Later that evening, reports of sightings of Tom Cruise in Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul flooded in. Despite the sudden influx of people, he responded warmly. Netizens expressed their excitement, saying, “Tom Cruise didn’t just go to the Gongdeok cafe today; he also ate chicken at the chicken place next door. He seemed to have stayed for over an hour,” “As expected, Uncle Tom,” “I saw him by chance on the street. He feels like the uncle next door,” “He’s really awesome,” and more.
Two years ago, before the release of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ (hereafter ‘Mission: Impossible 7’), there were also numerous sightings of Cruise around Seoul, from the airport and showcase venues to the eating alley in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, and the Gyeongui Line Forest Path near Gongdeok Station. It was reported that Cruise kindly smiled and posed for photos with citizens who requested them.
Meanwhile, at the press conference, in addition to Tom Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie and actors Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis were also present. They will participate in a red carpet event at the Lotte World Ice Rink starting at 5 PM after the press conference.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ is an action blockbuster where Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team members dive into a life-or-death mission amid a crisis threatening all of humanity.
It will be released on May 17.
