This is the status of the ‘10-year-old penguin’ Pengsoo.He naturally calls Hollywood’s top-tier actor Tom Cruise “senior” as if he were a brother.

EBS’s pride and national mascot, Pengsoo, made his usual appearance at the press conference for ‘Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning’ held at Lotte Cinema World Tower on the 8th.Pengsoo’s presence was so strong during the Korean event for the previous film, ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning’ in 2023 that attention was focused on whether ‘Pengsoo would reappear’, not only in the domestic film industry but also within and outside the fandom.

Pengsoo, who appeared at the press conference dressed as elite spy Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise in ‘Mission Impossible’, made Tom Cruise smile that day.

Pengsoo caused an uproar of laughter by asking, “Senior Tom, did you really buy a plane ticket to come to Korea? Did you come hanging from the wing of the airplane(like in that scene in the movie)?” Tom Cruise responded to Pengsoo’s witty question with, “Of course I came hanging from the airplane.”

Pengsoo, who had asked Tom Cruise in 2023 to “come to my hometown Antarctica and do stunts,” mentioned the “Arctic submarine scene” in this film and said, “It’s too bad I couldn’t be there to help you as a ‘penguin agent,’ but it’s a shame.” Tom Cruise caught everyone’s attention by spreading his arms and saying, “I always welcome Pengsoo’s appearance.”

Pengsoo’s endless expression of affection for Tom Cruise and ‘Mission Impossible’ did not stop even after the press conference.

Immediately after the press conference, Pengsoo told Sports Donga, “While watching the movie at the preview yesterday, I really hoped that the movie would never end.(From the tension)my wings were dripping with water.It was a movie that made my palms sweat and I couldn’t let go of the tension to the point where my gallbladder caught.”

As the subtitle ‘Final Reckoning’ suggests, this film is heralding the final installment of ‘Mission Impossible’, but Pengsoo also wished for ‘Mission Impossible’s never-ending ‘.

“Final? No! From what I’ve seen, there’s going to be a ‘Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning Part 2’ ! This is definitely not ‘Bye Bye’ !”


Reporter Seungmi smlee@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.