American livestreamer Johnny Somali, who caused outrage in South Korea by kissing a statue representing World War Two sex slaves, has been sentenced to six months in jail. Seoul authorities charged him for public nuisance in November 2024 after he posted a clip of himself kissing and performing lap dances on the statue while visiting South Korea. He has been barred from leaving the country since then.
The 25-year-old, whose real name is Ismael Ramsey Khalid, is known for his provocative content which has led to him being banned from several streaming platforms. He has also been accused of harassing people while traveling in Japan and Israel.
On Wednesday, a South Korean court convicted Khalid of multiple charges, including for being a public nuisance and distributing sexual deepfakes. A statement from the court noted that the defendant repeatedly committed crimes against unspecified members of the public to generate profit via YouTube and disregarded Korean law in the process.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison term, but the judges handed down a lower sentence while noting the 'absence of severe harm to victims,' according to The Korea Herald. Khalid has also been barred from working with organizations that serve minors and people with disabilities when he is eventually released.
During World War Two, an estimated 200,000 women around Asia were forced to be wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, with many of them being Korean. Activists have installed statues across South Korea to remember these 'comfort women,' which have occasionally caused diplomatic tensions due to historical grievances.
Khalid, who has around 5,000 followers on YouTube, previously apologized for his actions, stating he 'didn't understand the significance of the statue.' However, many expressed skepticism regarding the sincerity of his apology. While investigations were ongoing in South Korea, Khalid provocatively challenged locals and was caught on camera being confronted in the streets.
His controversial behavior extended beyond South Korea; earlier, he had taunted locals in Japan regarding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and faced penalties for disturbing public peace in various locations.
The 25-year-old, whose real name is Ismael Ramsey Khalid, is known for his provocative content which has led to him being banned from several streaming platforms. He has also been accused of harassing people while traveling in Japan and Israel.
On Wednesday, a South Korean court convicted Khalid of multiple charges, including for being a public nuisance and distributing sexual deepfakes. A statement from the court noted that the defendant repeatedly committed crimes against unspecified members of the public to generate profit via YouTube and disregarded Korean law in the process.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison term, but the judges handed down a lower sentence while noting the 'absence of severe harm to victims,' according to The Korea Herald. Khalid has also been barred from working with organizations that serve minors and people with disabilities when he is eventually released.
During World War Two, an estimated 200,000 women around Asia were forced to be wartime sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, with many of them being Korean. Activists have installed statues across South Korea to remember these 'comfort women,' which have occasionally caused diplomatic tensions due to historical grievances.
Khalid, who has around 5,000 followers on YouTube, previously apologized for his actions, stating he 'didn't understand the significance of the statue.' However, many expressed skepticism regarding the sincerity of his apology. While investigations were ongoing in South Korea, Khalid provocatively challenged locals and was caught on camera being confronted in the streets.
His controversial behavior extended beyond South Korea; earlier, he had taunted locals in Japan regarding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and faced penalties for disturbing public peace in various locations.
