Trump and Kim lookalikes hold Singapore ‘summit’
SINGAPORE: While access to the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be tightly restricted, hundreds of Singaporeans got the next best thing yesterday when two lookalikes showed up at a downtown mall. Hong Kong-based impersonator Howard X, who has attracted worldwide attention in recent months for his impression of Kim, appeared on stage with Trump lookalike Dennis Alan.
During a promotional event dubbed the “real” Trump-Kim summit, the men waved at shoppers as they walked through the crowded Bugis Junction mall. The duo shook hands and embraced on stage, hamming it up for onlookers who whipped out mobile phones. But selfies came at a cost: Those wanting a souvenir shot had to download the app the pair were pushing, and pay Sg$15 ($11) for pictures with both lookalikes. “Thank you for all the donations you have been making to North Korea, well, me. I really really appreciate it, because we are really cash-strapped,” Howard X said as dozens lined up for their turn with him. Chen Ziyang, 28, who was queuing for a picture, said the impersonators had “almost 99 percent resemblance to the real Kim and Trump”. The men have tie-ups with several local businesses and will also make an appearance at a seafood restaurant.
Like the real-life leaders, fake Kim and Trump are no strangers to controversies of their own. On Friday, Howard X said he was questioned for two hours by an immigration officer when he arrived at the city-state’s Changi Airport ahead of the real summit on Tuesday. “(They) asked me what my political views were and if I have been involved with protests in other countries,” he said, adding that he was told to stay away from Sentosa Island and the Shangri-La, two areas that are designated ‘special event areas’ for the summit. “They said, ‘It’s the Trump-Kim summit, you’ve come at a very sensitive time.’” The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) said Lee Howard Ho Wun arrived at Changi Airport at about 3.30 am on June 8 and was interviewed about 45 minutes later. After completing the interview he was allowed entry into Singapore.
“As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subject to additional interviews and/or screening,” the ICA said in a statement late on Friday. When Howard X previously appeared at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea with the same Donald Trump lookalike, he was escorted out by security after waving and dancing in front of North Korea’s cheerleaders.