As city-state prepares for Trump summit, Australian comedian says he was detained
An Australian comedian known for impersonating the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said he was detained by Singapore’s authorities on Friday and questioned about his political views.
Singapore’s immigration and checkpoints authority and the Singapore police did not immediately comment. The incident came days before the city-state hosts high-stakes talks between Kim and the US president, Donald Trump.
Trump says he'd invite Kim Jong-un to White House 'if summit goes well' Read more
Howard X, who declined to give his real name, told Reuters he was detained for two hours and questioned for about 30 minutes when he arrived in the early hours at Singapore’s Changi airport.
“[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 hotel, which have been designated “special event areas” for the summit.
“They said: ‘It’s the Trump-Kim summit, you’ve come at a very sensitive time.’”
Howard X was in Singapore late last month, posing as Kim Jong-un against a backdrop of the city’s bay, which features sites such as the Merlion and the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel.
Play Video 0:23 Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard X in Singapore last month - video
He said he was planning similar stunts for the purpose of political satire in the coming days, this time in tow with Donald Trump impersonator Dennis Alan. He said he was not planning any protests.
Rights groups have criticised Singapore’s laws, which they say limit critical speech and peaceful assembly.
Protests have to be pre-approved and are allowed only at a designated downtown area called the Speakers’ Corner.
Singapore has held the position that its laws and regulations are needed to maintain social order and harmony.
Meanwhile, police said on Friday that two South Korean media staff had been arrested for trespassing at the home of the North Korean ambassador to Singapore.
Police said the men, who were arrested on Thursday, were from the Korean Broadcasting System News. A third man from the broadcaster and a fourth who was acting as a guide and interpreter were also under investigation.
Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump impersonators, Howard X, left, and Dennis Alan, right, pose for photographs at the Merlion Park, a popular tourist destination in Singapore, on Friday, June 8, 2018. (Wong Maye-E/AP Photo)
Times are tense in Singapore as the country prepares for the rapidly approaching June 12 summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
So tense, apparently, that authorities at the airport detained an Australian Kim Jong Un impersonator for more than two hours and questioned him when he arrived in Singapore on Friday.
The authorities “asked me what my political views were and if I have been involved with protests in other countries,” the impersonator, who identified himself only as Howard X, told Reuters. “They said: 'It’s the Trump-Kim summit; you’ve come at a very sensitive time.'”
He also claimed he was told to keep his distance from Sentosa Island and the Shangri-La Hotel. Both places have been named “special event areas” ahead of the summit, although authorities have tried to keep specific plans under wraps.
The comedian has already been to Singapore in recent weeks, and he said he plans some comedic appearances for the coming days but does not intend to protest. He and Trump impersonator Dennis Alan have been coordinating, and the two appeared in public together on Friday. They held hands and walked through Singapore's touristy Merlion Park.
Kim Jong Un impersonator Howard X (R) and Donald Trump impersonator Dennis Alan (L) walk around greeting people during a visit to Merlion Park on June 8, 2018, in Singapore. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Singapore has strict laws on public demonstrations, which are limited to a specific area and require prior approval. But the Trump and Kim look-alikes said they are in Singapore only for satirical purposes.
And now that Kim's impersonator is safely through the airport, he does not imagine that he will run into trouble again.
“I'm here to stay,” he told the Associated Press. “I don't think they will try and kick out the president. It wouldn't be good press for Singapore.”
SINGAPORE: A Kim Jong Un lookalike was on Friday (Jun 8) questioned on arrival in Singapore ahead of a historic United States-North Korea summit and told to stay away from sites linked to the event.
"Lee Howard Ho Wun arrived at Singapore Changi Airport at about 3.30am on 8 June 2018," an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.
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"He was interviewed at about 4.15am. After completing the interview at 5am, he was allowed entry into Singapore at 5.15am."
"As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subject to additional interviews and/or screening. These procedures are conducted at all Singapore checkpoints," the spokesperson added.
The Hong Kong-based impersonator, who goes by the name Howard X, has gained worldwide attention for his impressions of the North Korean leader in recent months.
A Kim Jong Un impersonator, who goes by the name Howard X, points up towards an artwork which resembles a rocket while dressed up as the North Korean leader in an underground station in Hong Kong on Jun 7, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
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He appeared at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics alongside a Donald Trump lookalike, and the duo are set to take part in an alternative summit ahead of Tuesday's meeting between the US president and Kim.
But the Kim impersonator said that when he arrived at the city-state's Changi Airport he was stopped by an immigration officer and questioned for two hours.
Kim Jong Un impersonator, who goes by the name Howard X, yawns on his sofa while dressed up as the North Korean leader, at his studio in Hong Kong on Jun 7, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Anthony Wallace)
"They (searched) my bags and then told me that this is a very sensitive time to be in Singapore and that I should stay away from the Sentosa Island as well as the Shangri-La hotel in town," he said in a Facebook post.
Trump and Kim will hold their historic meeting on Sentosa, off Singapore's main island, while Trump will reportedly stay in the five-star Shangri-La.
The lookalike said he was asked if he had participated in Hong Kong's Occupy Central protest movement, to which he responded he had.
He said he was finally allowed to enter Singapore after the grilling, and that he was now "prepared for some fun during this historic moment".
A Kim Jong Un lookalike said Friday he was questioned on arrival in Singapore ahead of a historic US-North Korea summit and told to stay away from sites linked to the event.
The Hong Kong-based impersonator, who goes by the name Howard X, has gained worldwide attention for his impressions of the North Korean leader in recent months.
He appeared at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics alongside a Donald Trump lookalike, and the duo are set to take part in an alternative summit ahead of Tuesday's meeting between the US president and Kim.
But the Kim impersonator said that when he arrived at the city-state's Changi Airport he was stopped by an immigration officer and questioned for two hours.
"They (searched) my bags and then told me that this is a very sensitive time to be in Singapore and that I should stay away from the Sentosa Island as well as the Shangri-La hotel in town," he said in a Facebook post.
Trump and Kim will hold their historic meeting on Sentosa, off Singapore's main island, while Trump will reportedly stay in the five-star Shangri-La.
READ ALSO: 2 South Korean media personnel arrested for criminal trespass in Singapore: Police
The lookalike said he was asked if he had participated in Hong Kong's "Occupy Central" protest movement, to which he responded he had.
It is illegal to hold a protest in tightly-controlled Singapore without a police permit, except for in one corner of a downtown park.
He said he was finally allowed to enter Singapore after the grilling, and that he was now "prepared for some fun during this historical moment".
