Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
YouTuber Johnny Somali’s legal troubles in Korea deemed ‘self-inflicted’ amid backlash
This combined image shows a Telegram message with PayPal link for donations to American YouTuber Johnny Somali and a photo of him holding a Rising Sun Flag, a symbol of the Japanese imperial army. Captured from Seo Kyoung-duk's Facebook
By Lee Hae-rin
YouTuber Johnny Somali's struggles with legal fees in Korea are being described as "self-inflicted misery" by a longtime advocate for Korean culture, following a series of actions by the controversial content creator aimed at provoking Korean nationals.
Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is a 24-year-old American YouTuber who sparked outrage in Korea after kissing a statue last October symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery. The incident was just one in a series of provocative acts he carried out in the country. He has been charged with obstruction of business and is currently banned from leaving Korea.
He is now reportedly facing serious financial difficulties as a result of his actions. The situation came to light when fellow YouTuber Legal Mindset, who has been documenting Somali’s legal case, shared a Telegram message he received from someone close to Somali.
The message stated: “Johnny has a travel ban, Korea doesn’t let him work and doesn’t give him any support. Johnny is out of money now and I’m supporting him. There is no choice. He will starve if I don’t.” It also included a PayPal donation link to help cover Somali’s mounting legal expenses.
In response to the situation, Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University — and a well-known and outspoken advocate for Korean culture — criticized Somali’s actions in a Facebook post on Friday, calling the financial troubles “self-inflicted.”
American YouTuber Johnny Somali kisses a statue symbolizing Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery in Seoul's Yongsan District, Oct. 9, 2024. Captured from Johnny Somali's YouTube
“This shows the tragic fall of Somali,” Seo wrote, saying that Somali reminds him of the Korean idiom “self-inflicted punishment.”
“Somali is a rogue YouTuber who committed all kinds of misdeeds in Korea, kissing and mocking the girl statue and shouting ‘Takeshima’ (the Japanese name for Korea’s easternmost island, Dokdo, over which Japan has made repeated and baseless territorial claims) while displaying the Rising Sun Flag,” he said.
The Rising Sun Flag is a symbol of Japanese imperialism and militarism. Many people — particularly in Korea and China, which endured Japan’s brief colonial rule in the early 20th century — view it as the equivalent of the Nazi swastika due to its association with oppression, violence and imperial aggression.
He added that Somali has led other YouTubers, such as Black Dave and Ice Poseidon, to engage in similar crimes in Korea.
“We must set a precedent by imposing strong punishment on Somali, who is currently on trial,” he said, adding “forced expulsion” among his listed hashtags.
American YouTuber Johnny Somali pours cup noodle soup on a table at a convenience store in Seoul's Mapo District last October. Captured from Johnny Somali's YouTube
In March, Somali appeared an hour late to his first trial at the Seoul Western District Court. He arrived wearing a Make America Great Again hat.
According to the prosecution, Somali allegedly caused obstruction of business by playing loud music and pouring cup noodle soup on a table at a convenience store in Seoul last October. In addition to a police inquiry into alleged assault and drug use, Somali is currently under an exit ban preventing him from leaving the country.