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 travelling in Japan and Israel.
On Wednesday, a South Korean court convicted Khalid of multiple charges, including public nuisance and distributing sexual deepfakes. The defendant repeatedly committed crimes against unspecified members of the public to generate profit via YouTube and distributed the content in disregard of Korean law, the court stated, according to South Korean media.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison term, but the judges handed down a lower sentence noting the absence of severe harm to victims, The Korea Herald reported.
Khalid is also 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. Many of these victims were Korean, while others originated from China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
In South Korea, several statues depicting a young woman seated in a chair have been installed by activists to memorialize these comfort women. This particular statue has in the past caused diplomatic tensions as South Korea has long sought reparations from Japan for the treatment these women endured.
Khalid, who has around 5,000 followers on YouTube, had apologized in November 2024, stating he didn't understand the significance of the statue. However, public skepticism about his sincerity remains widespread.
While investigations continued in South Korea, Khalid escalated tensions by challenging locals to fight him. Numerous social media videos show him being punched and chased through the streets.
Prior to this incident, Khalid caused disturbances in public transportation, vandalized a convenience store, and streamed obscene videos in public locations.
In earlier incidents abroad, he was detained in Tel Aviv for making inappropriate remarks towards a police officer, only to be released shortly after. Similarly, during a visit to Japan in 2023, Khalid taunted locals regarding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to a fine for disturbing business in a restaurant.
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 travelling in Japan and Israel.
On Wednesday, a South Korean court convicted Khalid of multiple charges, including public nuisance and distributing sexual deepfakes. The defendant repeatedly committed crimes against unspecified members of the public to generate profit via YouTube and distributed the content in disregard of Korean law, the court stated, according to South Korean media.
Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison term, but the judges handed down a lower sentence noting the absence of severe harm to victims, The Korea Herald reported.
Khalid is also 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. Many of these victims were Korean, while others originated from China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
In South Korea, several statues depicting a young woman seated in a chair have been installed by activists to memorialize these comfort women. This particular statue has in the past caused diplomatic tensions as South Korea has long sought reparations from Japan for the treatment these women endured.
Khalid, who has around 5,000 followers on YouTube, had apologized in November 2024, stating he didn't understand the significance of the statue. However, public skepticism about his sincerity remains widespread.
While investigations continued in South Korea, Khalid escalated tensions by challenging locals to fight him. Numerous social media videos show him being punched and chased through the streets.
Prior to this incident, Khalid caused disturbances in public transportation, vandalized a convenience store, and streamed obscene videos in public locations.
In earlier incidents abroad, he was detained in Tel Aviv for making inappropriate remarks towards a police officer, only to be released shortly after. Similarly, during a visit to Japan in 2023, Khalid taunted locals regarding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to a fine for disturbing business in a restaurant.
