YouTuber Learns the Hard Way Not to Kiss Statues Overseas
Choi Jae-koo/Yonhap via AP
A 25-year-old American YouTuber known online as “Johnny Somali” has been sentenced to prison in South Korea after a series of controversial incidents that sparked public outrage. His real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael. A court in Seoul ruled Wednesday that he must serve six months behind bars after being convicted of offenses including causing a public disturbance and distributing sexually manipulated deepfake content. He was taken into custody immediately after the ruling.
In addition to the six-month prison term, the court ordered Ismael to spend another 20 days in detention. Judges also imposed a five-year ban preventing him from working with children or people with disabilities.
Authorities said Ismael repeatedly created disruptions while filming provocative online content. Among the incidents cited were bothering visitors at an amusement park and playing loud music inside a convenience store while recording videos.
The YouTuber, who openly describes himself as an internet troll and has been removed from several online platforms, drew especially strong criticism in 2024 after posting a video in which he kissed and made sexually suggestive gestures toward a statue honoring Korean “comfort women.” The memorial recognizes women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan during World War II.
After the backlash, Ismael issued an apology, saying he did not realize the significance of the monument. Despite that statement, he continued posting material that angered many people in South Korea. In later videos, he referred to the country as a “vassal state” of the United States, waved the Japanese Rising Sun flag, and said Japan should “reoccupy Korea.”
Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence. The court ultimately handed down the shorter term, noting that the offenses did not cause serious direct harm to victims.
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