A pair of men impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump have made an appearance in downtown Hanoi days before an expected summit between the two leaders.
Photos published by the local news site zing.com showed the two men, both sporting the signature of haircuts of Kim and Trump respectively, shaking hands on the steps of the Hanoi Opera House in a mock diplomatic ceremony.
Zing reported that the two men attempted to enter a nearby hotel, but were asked to leave because they did not have reservations.
Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard X (L) and Donald Trump impersonator Russell White (R) talk to journalists at the Opera House in Hanoi. Source: AAP
They were later spotted near Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, reported the Vnexpress news site, which also reported that the pair were accompanied by five bodyguards in black suits hired for the prank.
The Kim impersonator was identified as Howard X, a Hong Kong-based satirist who is known to dress as Kim on the sidelines of major international events, such as the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the the 2018 World Cup.
During the previous Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, he posted on Facebook that he was detained while entering the country and warned by immigration officials to stay away from the summit.
The Trump impersonator was identified as a 30-year-old Canadian named Russell White, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported.
Trump and Kim are set hold a second summit in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, where they are expected to negotiate denuclearizsation on the Korean Peninsula.
