US YouTuber jailed in South Korean for offensive stunts

An American YouTuber who sparked national outrage in South Korea for provocative stunts, including dancing on a statue honouring victims of wartime sexual slavery, has been sentenced to six months in prison.

The Seoul Western District Court found Ramsey Khalid Ismael, a self-proclaimed internet "troll" known online as Johnny Somali, guilty of multiple charges, including obstruction of business and distributing fabricated sexually explicit content.

Prosecutors had sought a three-year term for Ismael, who also faced accusations of harassing staff and visitors at an amusement park, disrupting a convenience store by blasting music and upending noodles onto a table, causing similar scenes on a bus and subway, and distributing non-consensual deepfake videos.

The court said the 25-year-old displayed "severe" disrespect for South Korean law, noting he offended countless people with livestreamed stunts aimed at generating YouTube revenue.

The court ordered his immediate detention following the verdict on Wednesday, citing him as a flight risk.

In October 2024, Somali sparked public outrage in South Korea after posting a video of himself kissing and performing a lap dance on a statue commemorating victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery during World War II.

He later apologised, claiming he was unaware of the monument's significance.

Ismael, who was barred from leaving the country pending his trial, earlier told local reporters that he regretted his actions and wished to apologise to the South Korean public.