Tom Cruise checks in to promote latest Mission Impossible movie

Hollywood star Tom Cruise is visiting Korea for the 11th time and said Thursday that he went to grab Korean barbeque as soon as he arrived the night before. Since his first visit to Korea in 1994 for “Interview with the Vampire,” Cruise has paid...

American actor Tom Cruise speaks during a press conference for ″Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One″ at Lotte Cinema World Tower branch in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Hollywood star Tom Cruise is visiting Korea for the 11th time and said Thursday that he went to grab Korean barbeque as soon as he arrived the night before.

Since his first visit to Korea in 1994 for “Interview with the Vampire,” Cruise has paid a visit almost every time his film premiered, such as in 2001 for “Vanilla Sky," 2008 for “Valkyrie," 2013 for “Jack Reacher” and last year for “Top Gun: Maverick." Cruise said he is so comfortable and well-received in the country that this time, he "got to meet and talk to people on the streets of Seoul." He also added that he is "happy to be able to show Korea to his colleagues here today."

Cruise is not just here to enjoy Korean food with his friends, but to promote his latest film “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One." On Thursday, he attended the press conference for the film at Lotte Cinema's World Tower branch in Songpa District, southern Seoul and talked about how traveling around the world and making movies is his dream come true.

From left, actor Pom Klementieff, director Christopher McQuarrie, actors Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby and Simon Pegg pose for a photo at a press conference for ″Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One″ at Lotte Cinema World Tower branch in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [YONHAP]

“I was very passionate about storytelling from when I was very young,” Cruise said. “I wanted to make movies and travel the world from when I was four, and started auditioning at age 18.”

Reflecting on his three-decade-long career, Cruise said that a passion for acting was what made him the globally famous actor today. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” tells the story of Ethan Hunt, played by Cruise, who must track down a new weapon that threatens to wipe out all of humanity.

“I lived in hotels and worked part-time jobs to get through auditions,” Cruise said. “One of those jobs was sweeping snow off of someone’s lawn. I didn’t study acting professionally and had my share of struggles. A strong passion for acting was what made me the actor I am today.”

Main poster for ″Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One″ [LOTTE ENTERTAINMENT]

Cruise famously does all of his stunts in his action films, and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” was no exception. In this new installment, there is one particular scene where Cruise falls off of a cliff in Norway that is exceptional.

“When I do those stunts, I focus on the story first,” Cruise said. “I talk to the director and see what needs to be done to elevate the story that we are trying to tell. I drive my own planes, helicopters and jets, and do my own parachuting too. For this movie, I trained again for parachuting and biking.”

Watching Cruise do his own stunts is terrifying yet at the same time gratifying to watch, said Simon Pegg, who has played the supporting character Benji Dunn in the Mission: Impossible series.

Tom Cruise and Vanessa Kirby in ″Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One″ [PARAMOUNT PICTURES]

“Preparations for the stunts are done extensively, so it’s not something you’d call reckless – nevertheless it’s terrifying to watch Tom do all those things,” Pegg said during the press conference. “We film with the best experts from around the world and train with the best for the most amazing shots. Of course, unexpected things happen during filming and everyone is on edge, but I have got some great shots of Tom performing stunts on my phone that I will post on social media once the film is out.”

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opens in local theaters on July 12.

Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ″Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One″ [PARAMOUNT PICTURES]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]