'Kim Jong-un impersonator' Howard X appears at Asian Games women's soccer match between Koreas

Howard X, an activist known for impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appeared at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games women's soccer match between South and North Korea on Monday — and was stopped by police before he could reach the North Korean cheering section.

Howard X showed up in the stands at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa in Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, where South Korea and North Korea faced off in their Group F third-round match on Monday.

He entered the stadium sporting Kim's signature hairstyle, a Mao-style jacket and a prop rocket, drawing stares from spectators and security personnel alike.

As Howard X moved closer to the North Korean cheering section, police intervened directly, fearing a confrontation. He waved at the North Korean supporters even as officers escorted him away.

Howard X told Yonhap he had wanted to meet "North Korean" people living in Japan. "They live in Japan but attend North Korean schools and are being indoctrinated with all kinds of propaganda and nonsense," he said.

"I'm trying to break the cycle of brainwashing," he added.

When asked whether mocking the North Korean leader could be seen as an insult to ethnic Koreans living in Japan, Howard X rebuffed the suggestion. "I'm not trying to insult anyone — I'm trying to break the mold," he said.

"The people who saw me on Tuesday will look me up on the internet and social media and laugh," Howard X said. "When you can laugh at a leader, all the fear disappears."

He also called for North Korea's exclusion from international sporting competitions, pointing to the bans imposed on Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine. "Kim Jong-un is sending troops to Russia and killing Ukrainians," he said. "North Korea should be expelled from sports competitions."

Howard X was born in Hong Kong and moved to Melbourne, Australia at age 10. He is of Chinese descent and has spent 13 years using his Kim Jong-un impersonation as political satire to draw attention to the North Korean regime and the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

He has a history of showing up at major international events related to North Korea and being turned away. At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, he appeared at the opening ceremony alongside a Donald Trump lookalike and held a Korean unification flag in the stands during the inter-Korean women's ice hockey match.

That June, ahead of the first North Korea-US summit in Singapore, he was questioned by authorities at Changi Airport. In February 2019, ahead of the Hanoi summit, Vietnamese authorities deported him, saying his visa was invalid.

At the time, Howard X told the Associated Press and other outlets: "Being born with a face that looks like Kim Jong-un is my real crime. Satire is a powerful weapon against dictatorship."

Reflecting on the North Korean cheering squad's reaction at PyeongChang, Howard X said: "Some were like, 'How dare you impersonate him,' some looked shocked. And some laughed."

He said he had his current hairstyle done at a Japanese salon, showing the stylist photos of Kim from the front, side and back. Asked whether he liked the look, he said: "No. It's horrible. Kim Jong-un has terrible fashion sense."

In Monday's match, South Korea drew 1-1 with North Korea. North Korea scored first in the first half, but South Korea equalized early in the second half through substitute Yun Su-jeong. Both teams finished with two wins and one draw — seven points each — but North Korea advanced as Group F winners on goal difference, with South Korea finishing second. Both qualified for the quarterfinals.

South Korea will face Uzbekistan in Osaka on Friday for a spot in the semifinals.