YouTuber Johnny Somali kisses ‘Comfort Women’ statue, is attacked in Seoul

Johnny Somalian American YouTuber notorious for his controversial behavior, has sparked outrage across Asia due to his offensive actions, particularly in Japan and South Korea. Somali is notorious for his disruptive and provocative behavior and his recent actions in Seoul have heightened discussions about the ethics of social media and the negative effects of sensationalist material.

Johnny Somali was born Ramsey Khalid Ismael in Phoenix, Arizona on September 26, 2000. He became known online for his daring antics in several nations. Somalis, who have an Ethiopian mother and a Somali father, rose to prominence through live streaming and often incited communities with provocative behavior.

During a trip to Japan in 2023, Somali first attracted international attention. He made a number of provocative statements about nuclear weapons while there, alluding to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He shouted things like, “Fukushima! Nuclear bomb! Shinzo Abe!” at Tokyo Disneyland, alluding to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident as well as the assassination of a former Japanese prime minister in 2022. Somalis were deeply offended after he was caught on camera telling commuters: “We’re going to drop another nuclear bomb.”

He was arrested for trespassing and disturbing a company after he was seen dancing on a rush hour train and getting into a private van. The Somalis were banned from entering Japan and fined ¥200,000, or about $1,400.

Following a series of provocative actions, the most controversial of which was his encounters with the Peace Statue in Itaewon, Seoul, Somali sparked popular outrage in South Korea in October 2024. This memorial commemorates “comfort women” who were sexually enslaved during the Japanese military’s occupation of the area. The Somalis’ behavior included making offensive remarks about Japan’s opinions on the monument, kissing the statue’s cheek and dancing obscenely. During the live stream, he claimed, “Japan hates these things. I love Korea and everything I did in Japan was for Koreans and Chinese.”

This event was not the only thing he did in South Korea. The Somalis allegedly ransacked an amusement park, blasted North Korean songs on buses, played pornographic music on public transport and threw instant noodles at a grocery counter after being refused beer. Public hostility towards the streamer grew as a result of each of these actions.

Somali was brutally attacked while live streaming in Seoul on October 24, 2024. He was approached by an unidentified man who punched him in the face, took his smartphone, threw it aside and ran away. Somali appeared on his broadcast after the event with a bandage over his right eye. Many people believe that the attack was motivated more by his continued operations in South Korea than by his precise actions that day, although it is unknown what he broadcast at the time.

Online forums in South Korea quickly shared the attack footage, with many people supporting the unnamed attacker. Nevertheless, several people warned against violence, despite the Somalis’ provocations.

Discussions about the obligations of social media companies and content producers have been sparked by Johnny Somali’s behaviour. As of October 28, 2024, his YouTube channel has more than 20,700 followers, a number that has increased either despite or as a result of his controversial posts. Calls for more controls on inflammatory content have been sparked by Somalia’s actions in an attempt to stop further harm and offending, particularly abroad.