Sydney (AP) —A man impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confused Australia’s campaign when Prime Minister Scott Morrison rushed into an event he was attending with Congressman Gladys Liu on Friday. rice field.
The impersonator, who later revealed himself under the stage name Howard X, began talking to the gathered media.
“Thank you very much. Gladys Riu is a candidate for the Australian Communist Party,” he said.
“Sorry, you have to leave. This is the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever seen in a campaign,” said Assistant Nick Cleeve.
The spoof replied: “I’m sorry, I can’t tell the Supreme Leader what to do. I support Gladys Riu.”
The spoof immediately left the venue in Melbourne.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Liu said she was focused on bringing results to the Melbourne community she represents.
“I’m not distracted by the enemies and their dirty tactics,” she said.
Liu was born in Hong Kong and has lived in Australia for over 30 years.
The turmoil seemed to be partially coordinated by Queensland Senator candidate Drew Pavlou. Drew Pavrow was a good friend of Howard X on social media and was “one of the best I’ve ever managed”.
Pavlow had previously claimed in a post that Liu defended China’s leadership and had a relationship with the administration. Pavlow described himself as a “young Rarikin,” and he thought the elections were boring and needed more excitement.
During an event at Extel Technologies in Melbourne, Morrison praised Chinese Australians.
“I’m not Chinese, I’m talking about the assertive and aggressive nature of the Chinese government. You know, Chinese Australians are the biggest patriots you can hope for in this country.”
The turmoil arose when tensions between Australia and China increased. Recently, it has happened over a security agreement that China has signed with the Solomon Islands.
Howard X is well known for impersonating Kim Jong Un. In 2018, he was detained and cross-examined when he arrived in Singapore a few days before the summit between North Korean leaders and US President Donald Trump. His real name is Leigh Howard Ho Eun.
The media reported that the spoofing was being interviewed by police on Friday.
The Australian election took place on May 21, and early voting began this week. In polls, the centre-left opposition Labor Party is tracking Morrison’s conservative coalition ahead of it.