Howard X may not be a household name, but his alter ego is well-recognised on the streets of Hanoi. So much so, that he has been kicked out of the country.
The Australian Kim Jong-un impersonator, speaking from Singapore moments after arriving from the Vietnamese capital on Monday, said that he's a big fan of The Chasers.
Australia's very own Kim Jong-un has been kicked out of Vietnam ahead of the meeting between the US and North Korean leaders. Source: Supplied
“This is like, I've done it, I've managed to annoy the authorities so much that they've ... bought me a ticket to fly out. I asked for first class, but they only gave me economy," he told SBS News.
The self-described “world’s first professional Kim Jong-un lookalike” had his Vietnamese visa revoked and was put on a plane out of the country, as preparations for the second meeting between Donald Trump and the North Korean leader continued in Hanoi.
“They gave me the notice to leave about two days earlier,” he said.
The lookalike, who arrived in the country last week alongside Donald Trump impersonator Russell White, said he was first told he would have to leave after doing an interview at the same hotel Kim would be staying at.
According to Howard X, when he and the 'fake' Trump later arrived at a government TV station for an interview, they were approached by about 15 police officers.
'Donald Trump' and 'Kim Jong-un' kiss goodbye on Monday. Source: Supplied
“For the next two and a half hours, they asked for our passports and what our plans were … and then they told us that my visa was actually invalid,” he said.
“They asked us to stop impersonating, I said ‘how can we stop impersonating?' Every time I walk out of my hotel room I get a crowd around us … even when I am dressed in my normal clothing.”
The next day, his visa was officially cancelled.
The second meeting between the US and North Korean leaders will take place on Wednesday and Thursday this week, building on their first meeting in Singapore last year.
Hanoi has billed itself the ‘City of Peace’ ahead of the talks and is carefully corralling press events to avoid any embarrassing PR moments.
Howard X believes it is because Kim is set to arrive in the country tomorrow that he was given the boot.
“They don’t want two Kims in the same city,” he said.
But there will be more than one Trump in Hanoi this week, with Mr White permitted to stay as long as he stops appearing in costume.
Howard X said he was not given a reason why he was forced to leave, while Mr White was allowed to stay. He suspects, however, it is because the real Donald Trump “has a very good sense of humour” and because, a plane ticket to Canada - where Mr White lives - is too expensive.
Earlier, the striking pair had paraded around the communist city - drawing crowds, calls for selfies and media attention everywhere they went.
It is not the first time Howard X has been detained in the name of satire.
The impersonator said he was briefly held by authorities when in Singapore for the first meeting between the two leaders. He also made headlines last year when he approached the North Korean cheerleaders at the Winter Olympics, which lead to him being “assaulted by North Korean agents”.
“They [North Korean Government] have known me for years, that I’ve been poking fun at them,” he said.
“I made a music video that has over 53 million views on YouTube … I, as Kim Jong-un, basically make love to an atomic bomb. When I go to Russia I get recognised, even with my cap on."
He said this latest incident is not going to stop him travelling the world as the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
“Having the power to make fun of powerful figures I think is really worth it - and I’m Aussie, you know, I have to take the piss out of these people.”
