A South Korean prosecutors’ office representative revealed that Ramsey Khalid Ismael, better recognized as Johnny Somali in online circles, is set to be tried and temporarily prohibited from departing the nation.
SEOUL, South Korea — In recent developments, an American livestreamer infamous for his audacious antics abroad is facing serious charges from South Korean authorities, who have accused him of stirring up chaos in a local convenience store, announced on Wednesday by the prosecutors.
Widely known by his alias, Johnny Somali, the 24-year-old Ismael has built a reputation for his inflammatory behavior online. This includes spouting provocative and often offensive remarks during his travels in allied nations like South Korea and Japan.
Wednesday saw a statement from the spokesperson at Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, confirming that Somali is indeed headed for trial. They’ve ensured he isn’t going anywhere soon, literally, as he’s been placed under a travel ban.
Yet, he isn’t cooling his heels in detention just yet, the office clarified.
The authorities in South Korea frequently slap on travel restrictions when someone poses a risk of skipping town.
Somali’s repertoire of disruptive acts features defacing cultural sites and antagonizing residents. This has led to recurrent kicks off many social media outlets. Currently, he broadcasts on Rumble, where the content policing isn’t as strict as Twitch, another well-known streaming site.
In his now-deleted Instagram videos last month, Somali could be seen sharing a drink inside a convenience store and making a mess with instant noodles on a table. Despite his subsequent cleanup, the uproar was unmistakable.
This particular video has since vanished from his YouTube page, leaving no legally actionable footprint.
In a more serious affront, Somali’s antics near Seoul’s Statue of Peace, also known as the Comfort Woman statue, have sparked significant outrage. This monument honors the tens of thousands of Korean women who fell victim to sexual slavery under Japanese forces during World War II.
Footage still accessible on Rumble depicts Somali kissing the statue, then snapping a photo of the act only to flaunt it around the city.
Following the backlash, he extended an apology, stating — somewhat unbelievably — that he was clueless about the statue’s historical importance, according to Agence France-Presse.
Yonhap news agency recounts Somali’s multiple run-ins with violence in South Korea, with one incident involving another livestreamer dishing out some internet justice.
Local residents and the authorities have long been criticizing Somali’s behavior as one of the many troublemaking influencers who’ve gained a bad rap overseas.
In Japan, these influencers have been notorious for various mischiefs—be it deceiving train officials, causing ruckus in shops, or pestering subway travelers.
As per Kyodo News, last year saw Japanese authorities detaining Somali on charges of unauthorized entry into a construction zone. The controversy didn’t stop there; he went as far as taunting Japanese commuters by bringing up the tragic U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.
Field reporting by Stella Kim in Seoul and Mithil Aggarwal in Hong Kong paints a vivid picture of this digital outlaw’s escapades across Asia.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
