South Korea jails American YouTuber over public nuisance offense
Kelly Ng Wednesday April 15, 2026
The outrage began with a kiss, but it ended with a jail sentence: American livestreamer Johnny Somali has been sentenced to six months behind bars after offending South Koreans by violating a statue that commemorates wartime sex slaves.
Seoul authorities charged him with public nuisance in November 2024 after he uploaded footage showing himself kissing and performing lap dances on the statue during a visit to South Korea. Since then, he has been barred from leaving the country.
The…