Streamer jailed in South Korea after kissing statue of WWII sex slaves
American livestreamer Johnny Somali has been sentenced to six months in prison in South Korea after sparking widespread outrage for kissing a statue symbolizing World War II sex slaves.
Authorities in Seoul charged him with public nuisance in November 2024 after he shared a video of himself kissing and performing suggestive acts on the statue during a visit to the country. Since then, he has been prohibited from leaving South Korea.
The 25-year-old content creator, whose real name is Ismael Ramsey Khalid, is known for controversial online behavior that has led to bans from multiple streaming platforms. He has also faced allegations of harassing individuals during trips to Japan and Israel.
On Wednesday, a South Korean court found Khalid guilty of several offences, including public nuisance and distributing sexually explicit deepfake content. The court noted that he repeatedly engaged in unlawful acts targeting the general public in order to generate income on YouTube, disregarding local laws.
Although prosecutors had pushed for a three-year sentence, the court imposed a shorter term, citing the lack of serious harm to victims. According to reports, he will also be barred from working with organisations that support minors and persons with disabilities after his release.
The statue at the centre of the controversy represents victims of a painful chapter in history, when an estimated 200,000 women across Asia were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Many of the victims were Korean, while others came from countries such as China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
These statues—often depicting a young seated girl—have been erected across South Korea by activists to commemorate the so-called “comfort women.” They have also contributed to longstanding diplomatic tensions, as South Korea continues to seek reparations from Japan.
Khalid issued an apology in November 2024, claiming he did not understand the significance of the statue, though many online users questioned his sincerity. During the investigation period, he reportedly provoked locals and was seen in viral videos being confronted and chased in public.
His actions in South Korea also included causing disturbances on public transport, vandalising a convenience store, and broadcasting obscene content in public spaces.
Earlier incidents abroad have further fueled controversy. In 2024, he was briefly detained during a protest in Tel Aviv after making inappropriate remarks toward a female police officer. In 2023, while in Japan, he angered locals by making offensive comments about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and was later fined 200,000 yen (about $1,400) for disrupting a restaurant with loud music.
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