American YouTuber and streamer, Johnny Somali could be jailed be jailed for ten years in South Korea after a controversial video showed him kissing and posing with a statue dedicated to Korean women who were victims of sexual slavery during Japan’s occupation of Korea.
The American national Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael has since faced widespread criticism from Korean nationals for his actions.
Somali’s actions, captured during his visit to the Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, have ignited anger among Koreans and beyond.
In a video posted on October 9, the YouTuber was seen kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, and performing a dance in front of the memorial.
The statue honors tens of thousands of young Korean women who were subjected to forced sexual slavery by the Japanese military from 1910 to 1945.
According to The Korea Times, Somali expressed remorse for his actions in a video released by YouTube channel Jcompany last Thursday.
“I want to apologize to Koreans. I didn’t understand the significance of the statute … I’m a young person, I want to grow as a man. I made a mistake, and I think when you make a mistake in life, you need to own up to it. So, I apologize, and I will no longer talk about your statue or touch it ever again,” he apologized.
Although he has apologised, reports suggest that if convicted, the streamer could face up to 10 years in prison.
Johnny Somali admitted that he had intended the stunt as entertainment for his American audience but now recognized his actions as disrespectful.
The incident has spurred ongoing criticism, with many Koreans and others voicing their disapproval over what they see as a profound lack of cultural sensitivity and respect
In a related development, Johnny Somali has been indicted for “causing a commotion” at a convenience store in South Korea, prosecutors said on Tuesday, November 12.
According to Officials, he is not allowed to leave South Korea because of a travel ban linked to the case.
“He was indicted on Monday without detention for creating a commotion at a convenience store in October,” a spokesman for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office told AFP.
A convenience store employee reported Somali to the police on October 17 when he confronted a worker after being told not to drink alcohol inside the store.
He is also accused of making sexist remarks towards the worker.
Somali has dominated headlines in the country for a series of stunts, including kissing and twerking by a statue memorialising Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery—euphemistically called “comfort women”—by the Japanese military during World War II.
The incident, which appeared in a now-removed video on his YouTube channel, drew strong backlash and condemnation. He later issued an apology.
Source:
3news.com
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