‘Super Elite’ Sunak Refuels in Kia Car... ‘Commoner Cosplay’ Controversy Reignited

Rishi Sunak Becomes UK's First Non-White and Youngest Prime Minister
Past Mistake Photos and Videos Spark Buzz in Indian Community

Rishi Sunak, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Photos and videos of past mistakes by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are once again gaining attention within the Indian community.

On the 24th (local time), British daily The Guardian and BBC reported that photos and videos capturing Prime Minister Sunak's mistakes are being shared in the 'WhatsApp' Indian community, which has over 390 million users.

A representative controversy involves a photo at a gas station. In March, then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak took a photo filling a Kia Rio with fuel at a gas station to promote fuel price reductions. However, since the car was revealed to belong to a gas station employee, some speculated that he borrowed the Kia to appear less wealthy. In a WhatsApp conversation, when one Indian man asked, "Does Sunak really drive a Kia?" another male cousin replied, "Of course not."

Another blunder that drew attention was when he purchased a can of cola at a convenience store but scanned a card instead of the cola's barcode. Later, Prime Minister Sunak admitted the mistake, saying, "People are teaching me how to use contactless cards."

A BBC documentary featuring Sunak in the past also became a topic of discussion. In the 2001 BBC documentary "The Middle Class: Their Rise and Spread," he said, "I have aristocratic friends, upper-class friends, and working-class friends... no, I don't have working-class friends."

On the day Sunak was nominated as the new UK Prime Minister, many messages of excitement and congratulations were posted in the Indian community. They were especially delighted because this news came 75 years after India gained independence from the UK. He is set to become the UK's first Prime Minister of Indian descent and the youngest ever.

However, there were also negative reactions due to his typical elite background. Raised wealthy by a doctor father and pharmacist mother, Sunak graduated from the UK's top prestigious private school, Oxford University, and Stanford University in the US before entering the financial sector. He then entered politics after being elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015 and was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020.

Meanwhile, on the 25th, Sunak officially took office as the 57th Prime Minister of the UK. On the same day, he was appointed Prime Minister during an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in the morning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.