By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff reporter
Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, the young stars of the blockbuster ``The Twilight Saga'' franchise, visited Seoul for the first time Thursday to promote the latest installment ``Eclipse.''
Not even the escalating tension between North and South Korea could have stopped them from coming to Seoul to meet their loyal fans.
``I was excited to meet all the fans here. The whole political situation does not have anything to do with this. We just really wanted to come here. I'm thrilled to be here now,'' Lautner said, during a press conference at the Shilla Hotel, Seoul.
``We were assured of the safety. It would have been awful not to push through. Seoul is not really a typical stop here and we really wanted to come and meet the fans,'' Stewart added.
Lautner looked dapper in a gray suit, while Stewart looked stylish in a simple gray top, black miniskirt and booties, as they answered questions from the Korean media.
It was their first time to be in Korea, and they were surprised to have such a warm welcome from fans at the airport on Wednesday evening.
``The Twilight Saga'' is a series of books by American author Stephenie Meyer about a love affair between a teenage girl Bella and vampire Edward. The first two films ``Twilight'' and ``New Moon'' were a worldwide box office sensation, and turned Stewart, Lautner and Robert Pattinson into instant stars.
``It's not your average romance. There's a story for everyone. It has action, suspense, romance, and everything. The story is universal. Everyone can enjoy it,'' Lautner said.
The Twilight franchise's success has put more pressure on the stars to make each film better than the previous one.
``I love this project and to have millions of people who feel the same way, it makes us want to work harder,'' Stewart said.
After working on three films (filming on the fourth installment ``Breaking Dawn'' will start later this year), it is obvious the cast has maintained a close camaraderie that translates well on screen.
``I've become such close friends with Taylor and the rest of the cast that it doesn't feel like `lying' on screen. I don't think people would want to watch anyone lying to them,'' Stewart said.
Stewart, who is rumored to be dating Pattinson, said there were some aspects of Bella that she could relate to. ``I suppose I can relate to Bella in that I would not necessarily choose the easy road if I was in love. No matter what obstacle, I'd face it,'' she said.
The 18-year-old Lautner is finding it a challenge to maintain a buffed physique for his role as the werewolf Jacob. ``It's just as hard to maintain this and it's a challenge to keep it up,'' he said.
Meanwhile, both Lautner and Stewart sheepishly admitted they did not know much about Korea. Asked if he knows any Korean films, Lautner shook his head, but charmingly asked the reporter for recommendations.
``I once flew Korean Air and they served bi-bim-bap,'' Stewart slowly said, as if unsure of the pronunciation. ``It's really good. That's my one very uneducated impression of Korea,'' she added with a smile.
The ``Eclipse'' stars were also scheduled to attend a red carpet event and fan meeting at COEX Mall, Wednesday evening. ``Eclipse'' opens in Korea on July 8.