A moment of recklessness has landed an American social media influencer in hot water. Johnny Somali, a 24-year-old American YouTuber, has sparked outrage after he was seen kissing a statue representing Korean women who suffered sexual abuse during the Japanese occupation of Korea. During a visit to Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, the YouTuber mindlessly kissed and posed with the statue.

On October 9, he uploaded a video of himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, while also performing an inappropriate dance in front of the monument. The statue honors the tens of thousands of young women who were subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military during the Korean occupation from 1910 to 1945.

As reported by The Korea TimesSomalia conveyed its regret for its actions in a video shared by the YouTube channel Jcompany on Thursday. Standing next to the statue, Johnny bowed to the Korean crowd and said, “I want to apologize to the Koreans. I didn’t understand the meaning of the statue.” He further explained that his intention had been to entertain his American audience, but acknowledged that his behavior was disrespectful. Somalia also added in Korean: “I’m really sorry.”

Koreans are in no mood to forgive

Despite his apology, many viewers remain skeptical of Somalia’s sincerity. Critics emphasize that he has not yet deleted numerous controversial posts from his social media. A particularly controversial moment came when Somalia shared an image on Instagram with a photo of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, accompanied by the caption: “I defeated the Koreans for you, Shinzo Abe.” Although the YouTube video has been removed, the Instagram post still exists, now with a modified caption: “RIP Shinzo Abe!”

Somalia’s list of violations is long

Somalia deliberately tried to provoke South Koreans, including students and bystanders at Kyung Hee University, by displaying a drawing of Japan’s rising sun flag, a symbol widely considered offensive in the country due to its ties to Japan aggression in wartime. Moreover, Somalia played explicit content. loud while riding the subway and attracted a lot of attention. He was eventually warned by subway security for drinking and playing loud music, which led to his removal from the train. On a bus, he further provoked passengers by playing North Korean songs. When confronted by civilians, Somalis responded with racist comments and demanded they address him in English. During a live broadcast, Somali also mocked President Yoon Suk Yeol by kissing a photo of him and then making an obscene gesture, sarcastically stating: “I love the Korean president. He’s a great leader. Thank you for keeping me safe and under police protection.”

The aftermath

Somali, whose full name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is under investigation for obstruction of business operations and suspected drug use. Authorities have placed a travel restriction on him to prevent him from fleeing the country as investigations continue. According to a report from Game Rant, his actions could result in a 10-year prison sentence in South Korea.