Tom Cruise Named Honorary Citizen of Busan, South Korea

A-lister is being feted with honorary citizenship by the country's largest port city thanks to his contributions to cinema

Tom Cruise is getting some major South Korean love.

The Hollywood star is set to become an honorary citizen of the country's second biggest metropolis, Busan, when he drops in later this week for the red carpet premiere of Jack Reacher, Cruise's rep confirms to E! News.

Per the The Hollywood Reporter, the local government is bestowing the honor for helping elevate the port city's status as a major filmmaking center in Asia.

"The visit of a top star and director will contribute to promoting Busan's important status in Asia for cinema," the trade quotes an official as saying. "The city has decided to award the honorary citizenship in recognition to his contribution to the industry."

Cruise, costar Rosamund Pike and Reacher's director, Christopher McQuarrie, who are currently on the Asian leg of their movie's promotional tour, will each receive special citizenship certificates from Mayor Hur Nam-sik.

Busan is home to the Busan International Film Festival, one of the largest confabs of its kind in Asia, and has been undergoing a boom in film production lately. Thursday's event will mark the first time a major Tinseltown movie is getting a red carpet rollout beyond the normal festival run.

While he's in town, the 50-year-old actor is expected to meet with local reporters, then hit the main event at the Busan Cinema Center, where he'll undoubtedly flash that signature grin for all of his adoring Korean fans.

Jack Reacher, which finds Cruise playing a former military police investigator, has earned generally positive reviews since opening last month and has so far racked up $121 million in worldwide ticket sales.