YouTuber faces 10-yrs prison sentence for kissing statue

American YouTuber Johnny Somali has faced widespread criticism after a controversial video showed him kissing and posing with a  statue dedicated to Korean women who were victims of sexual slavery during Japan’s occupation of Korea.

Somali’s actions, captured during his visit to the Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, have ignited anger among Koreans and beyond.

In a video posted on October 9, the YouTuber was seen kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, and performing a dance in front of the memorial.

The statue honors tens of thousands of young Korean women who were subjected to forced sexual slavery by the Japanese military from 1910 to 1945.

According to The Korea Times, Somali expressed remorse for his actions in a video released by YouTube channel Jcompany on Thursday.

Standing beside the statue, he bowed and offered an apology to the Korean people: “I want to apologize to Koreans. I didn’t understand the significance of the statue.”

Johnny Somali admitted that he had intended the stunt as entertainment for his American audience but now recognized his actions as disrespectful.

He concluded his apology in Korean, adding, “I’m truly sorry.”

The incident has spurred ongoing criticism, with many Koreans and others voicing their disapproval over what they see as a profound lack of cultural sensitivity and respect.

Although he has apologised, reports suggest that if convicted, the streamer could face up to 10 years in prison.

Johnny Somali admitted that he had intended the stunt as entertainment for his American audience but now recognized his actions as disrespectful.

In a related development, Johnny Somali has been indicted for “causing a commotion” at a convenience store in South Korea, prosecutors said on Tuesday, November 12.

According to Officials, he is not allowed to leave South Korea because of a travel ban linked to the case.

“He was indicted on Monday without detention for creating a commotion at a convenience store in October,” a spokesman for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office told AFP.

A convenience store employee reported Somali to the police on October 17 when he confronted a worker after being told not to drink alcohol inside the store.

He is also accused of making sexist remarks towards the worker.

Somali has dominated headlines in the country for a series of stunts, including kissing and twerking by a statue memorializing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery, euphemistically called “comfort women” by the Japanese military during World War II.

The incident, which appeared in a now-removed video on his YouTube channel, drew strong backlash and condemnation.