US YouTuber jailed in South Korean for offensive stunts

An American YouTuber who sparked national outrage in South Korea for his provocative moves, including dancing on a statue commemorating victims of wartime sexual slavery, has been sentenced to six months in prison.

The Seoul Western District Court found self-described internet “troll” Ramsey Khalid Ismael, known online as Johnny Somali, guilty of multiple charges, including obstruction of business and distribution of fabricated sexually explicit content.

Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison sentence for Ismael, who faces charges of harassing staff and visitors at an amusement park, disrupting a convenience store by blasting music and disrupting noodles, causing similar scenes on a bus and subway, and distributing deepfake videos without his consent.

The court said the 25-year-old actor showed “violent” disrespect for South Korean laws and offended countless people with livestreamed demonstrations aimed at generating revenue from YouTube.

Following Wednesday’s verdict, the court ordered his immediate arrest, arguing that he was a flight risk.

In October 2024, Somali sparked public outrage in South Korea by posting a video of herself kissing and performing a lap dance on a statue commemorating victims of sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II.

He later apologized, claiming that he was unaware of the monument’s significance.

Ismael, who was banned from leaving the country until his trial was over, had previously told local journalists that he regretted his statement and wanted to apologize to the people of South Korea.