Key Takeaways
- Johnny Somali faces up to 10 years in prison in South Korea for his controversial actions, including alleged narcotics possession.
- Somali has a track record of being banned from streaming platforms due to past behavior in various countries.
- Somali’s disrespectful actions toward a comfort women statue in South Korea sparked outrage and led to public assaults.
Johnny Somali‘s recent antics in South Korea could land the streamer in prison for up to ten years. The infamous streamer and YouTube content creator has been arrested there, and is not allowed to leave the country as the investigation is underway.
Johnny Somali, aka Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been repeatedly banned from streaming platforms like Kick and Twitch for his past actions. Somali seems to enjoy stirring up controversy wherever he goes, with both Jerusalem and Japan banning Somali from returning after he acted out in both locales.
Related
Streamer xQc Reveals Shocking Amount of Money He’s Lost Gambling
During his latest appearance on a popular podcast, streamer xQc reveals the massive amount of money he’s lost gambling over the years.
Now, Somali is potentially facing ten years of jail time after behaving in a similar way in South Korea, according to Dexerto. The streamer is now being held on charges of narcotics possession, which is a big deal in the country, carrying a potentially decade-long criminal sentence. Initially arrested “for his protection,” the streamer was initially amused by his apparent police protection, taunting from the cop car and drinking alcohol. Now, facing this potential jail sentence, Somali has allegedly become repentant, apologizing for his actions and claiming that he’s a “young person” who “made a mistake” and that he wants to “grow as a man.” It’s not clear what narcotics he allegedly had on his person.
What Got Johnny Somali in Hot Water with South Korea?
To recap, Somali was arrested following his actions in the country in October, triggering the general public and leading to multiple assaults upon him. In all, he reportedly harassed citizens by blasting North Korean music on a bus, playing explicit noises while on a train, and throwing a fit by dumping instant noodles on a convenience store table after he was told he couldn’t drink alcohol. His antagonism towards the country actually started before he even arrived, saying in a now-deleted tweet that he wanted to physically assault a member of K-pop group BTS. However, it was likely his actions involving a “comfort woman” statue called The Statue of Peace that truly got him in hot water with the general public. Somali chose to film himself on-stream as he touched, kissed, and twerked on the statue.
The statue is a tribute to the so-called comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japan during its colonial rule over Korea, which the Japanese government denies. Needless to say, it’s a sensitive piece of history, so seeing any sort of disrespectful action toward it would upset a lot of people. It went so far that South Korean content creators were seeking Somali and even putting bounties on his head for anyone who spotted him in public or could identify where he was.
It remains to be seen what happens from here. Somali has a history of lying in court, as he admitted to doing in Japan, where he said that he was filming for a documentary, not for profit. As such, his apology may not carry much weight, especially in a country that’s strict regarding drug charges.