Latest news with #JohnnySomali
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who is Johnny Somali? Viral Kick streamer facing up to 46 years in jail for racist pranks in South Korea
(Image via X/@DefiantLs) If you've ever doom-scrolled Kick or Twitter and seen the name Johnny Somali popping up for all the wrong reasons, here's the tea. From viral chaos in Japan to seriously disturbing behaviour in South Korea, this streamer has gone from clickbait king to courtroom regular. And now? He's facing up to 46 years in prison. Here's everything we know about the messy, wild, and now criminally serious saga of Johnny Somali. Who Is Johnny Somali? Johnny Somali, real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is an American streamer who made waves (read: bad ones) for pulling off obscene, disrespectful stunts across Asia—all on stream. His platform of choice? Kick. His content? Mostly loud, obnoxious, often racist 'pranks' that somehow always crossed the line. He first blew up in 2024 for broadcasting chaos in Japan and Israel. But when he took that same energy to South Korea, things didn't go as viral—they went criminal. Why This American Streamer Is Facing Prison In South Korea Why South Korea Is Not Playing Around Unlike other countries that mostly ignored or deported him, South Korean authorities clapped back hard. Johnny's been hit with a growing list of charges, including: Three counts of Obstruction of Business (he pled guilty) Two violations of the Minor Offenses Act (also pled guilty) Multiple deepfake-related charges (he pled not guilty) Already, this mix of convictions and ongoing trials has him staring down 36 years behind bars. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pelileo: Inicia hoy con Amazon CFD y construye un segundo ingreso. InvestIQ Registrarse Undo But wait, there's more. Johnny Somali Nuisance Stream Banned By YouTube (Here's Why) A New Investigation Might Add 10 More Years On June 17, legal YouTuber Legal Mindset dropped a bomb: Johnny Somali is now facing a fresh investigation under South Korea's Child Welfare Act. This stems from a September 30th livestream at Lotte World (a popular theme park) where Somali allegedly used text-to-speech messages implying inappropriate acts involving children. Yes, he streamed that. At the time, the authorities didn't press charges, saying there wasn't enough evidence. But now? They're looking into multiple possible violations of Article 17, which covers sexually harassing content involving minors. The penalty? Up to 10 years in prison per violation Or fines up to ₩50 million (around $ 36,200 USD ) If this new case sticks, Somali's max sentence could hit 46 years. Johnny Somali is no longer just a controversial streamer; he's a man facing serious criminal charges in South Korea. With guilty pleas, reopened investigations, and public backlash piling up, his future's looking way less like a content house and way more like a jail cell. 46 years? It's not clickbait anymore. It's real. And it's coming fast. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
South China Morning Post
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Johnny Somali's trial in South Korea highlights rising concern over ‘nuisance influencers'
The trial of an American content creator whose disruptive and culturally insensitive acts sparked outrage in South Korea has fuelled calls for sterner responses to these so-called nuisance influencers. Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been barred from leaving South Korea and faces seven charges, including obstruction of business and violations of the Minor Offences Act, according to local media. Ismael's earlier charges were relatively minor but at his second hearing on May 16, he faced two serious charges of creating pornographic deepfakes, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10½ years. The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to the five minor charges and not guilty to the sex charges. His next trial hearing is scheduled for August 13. Among the actions he has been charged with are brandishing a dead fish on the subway, kissing a statue commemorating Korean World War II sex slaves as well as holding up a Japanese 'Rising Sun' flag and calling the disputed Liancourt Rocks by their Japanese name of Takeshima. The sex charges have to do with AI-generated deepfake pornographic videos featuring Ismael and a female South Korean live-streamer.
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
‘Johnny Somali' trial raises the question: How should Korea handle 'nuisance influencers'?
Calls grow for stern response to foreign creators who come to mock and harass As he arrived for his second trial hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on May 16, American YouTuber 'Johnny Somali' briefly turned to reporters, smiling and sticking out his tongue. The 24-year-old streamer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been barred from leaving South Korea and is being tried on three charges, including obstruction of business and violations of minor public order laws. Ismael represents a new kind of content creator — one that South Korea is confronting for the first time as the country increasingly attracts YouTube-driven tourism and attention-seeking influencers. Nuisance influencers, as CNN called them, deliberately stir up trouble in public to generate views and online visibility. Trouble for clicks Ismael arrived in South Korea around October last year. His disruptive behavior here, including playing loud music and obscene videos in public and livestreaming himself vandalizing a convenience store, quickly drew attention online. However, the act that sparked the most public outrage occurred on Oct. 9. On that day, he uploaded a video of himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, and performing a lewd dance in front of it. The statue commemorates the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery during World War II — a painful and enduring wound in Korea's collective memory, stemming from the country's colonialization by Japan from 1910 to 1945. He appeared to have discovered one of the most potent triggers of public outrage in South Korea: the nation's historical trauma with Japan. In another video, he held up the 'Rising Sun' flag — a symbol widely associated with Japanese imperialism — and referred to Dokdo, a group of rocky islets in South Korea's easternmost waters that are at the center of a territorial dispute with Japan, calling them 'Takeshima,' the name used by Japan to assert sovereignty over the area. While these incidents brought him nationwide attention, it was his actions at the Lotte World amusement park, a convenience store, and on public transportation — including subways and buses — that led to criminal charges of business obstruction and violations of public order laws. He is also accused of producing and distributing a deepfake video in which the face of a Korean female streamer was digitally manipulated onto footage that appeared to show her kissing him. Just as Ismael's trial began in March, South Korea saw the emergence of another YouTuber with a similar approach. American YouTuber 'Ice Poseidon' came under fire that same month for a livestream in Busan where he and his companions shouted in public, kicked trash and mocked Korean food, saying, 'Kimchi is disgusting.' While riding in a taxi, he also spoke Korean in an exaggerated, mocking tone, seemingly to ridicule the elderly driver. How to respond? As public frustration grows over disruptive foreign content creators in South Korea, online users are calling for a boycott of controversial streamers whose offensive behavior appears to be rewarded with attention — and ad revenue. 'Many people keep watching, commenting, and even subscribing while criticizing them. But that attention is exactly what feeds YouTubers like Somali,' one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'People should stop giving them any attention, and immigration authorities should prevent them from entering Korea.' As of May 28, Ice Poseidon, the streamer who sparked outrage in Busan, had 695,000 subscribers on YouTube. Johnny Somali's YouTube channel has been suspended, making it difficult to determine his current following. At the same time, South Koreans are calling for the authorities to respond sternly in Ismael's case to establish a precedent for dealing with similar incidents in the future. While Ismael was eventually prosecuted, though without physical detention, some people say the initial response from South Korean law enforcement was too lenient, allowing him to persist in harassing locals and disturbing public order. 'I hope a fair and firm ruling is delivered in Johnny Somali's case to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,' said Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women's University known for his efforts to promote Korean culture abroad. 'A strong punishment should be imposed to set an example,' he wrote on Facebook. In response to an inquiry from The Korea Herald, an official from the Korea Immigration Service reiterated the general principle that, under Article 46 of the Immigration Control Act, a foreign national may be subject to deportation if their actions are deemed harmful to national interests or public safety. 'A comprehensive review of specific facts, including whether any laws were violated, is necessary before making a determination,' the official added. Ismael's third trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13. If convicted and sentenced to prison, he would have to serve his term in a local prison. Separately, immigration authorities could review whether to impose a deportation order and a reentry ban, according to legal experts.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Why is Johnny Somali facing 31-year prison sentence in South Korea? Full list of charges explained
Johnny Somali, the popular streamer whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is under legal fire in South Korea with a new sex crime charge that could potentially land him up to 31 years in prison. This latest accusation adds to the growing list of legal troubles surrounding the American content creator, whose provocative behaviour while streaming overseas has frequently attracted controversy and scrutiny from authorities. Also Read: Meteorologist Mark Johnson exits News 5 Cleveland: What really happened? Previously banned from Japan and Israel, the streamer visited South Korea in 2024, where he displayed provocative behaviour as he harassed local people, disrupted businesses and challenged other streamers only to provoke them. He even got knocked out by a former Korean Navy SEAL officer during one of his antics, while the officer was fined for assault. His woes began with allegations that he distributed a deepfake video showing him kissing popular Korean streamer BongBong. According to Legal Mindset, a YouTube lawyer, a second deepfake charge has now been filed against Somali, possibly involving other prominent Korean figures with whom he had previously clashed online. In South Korea, the distribution of deepfake videos is treated as a sex crime, and each count results in 10.5 years in prison, as reported by The Express Tribune. Also Read: Karoline Leavitt gets brutally mocked for 'Carla Hayden inappropriate books' remark Johnny Somali has already pleaded guilty on one count of Obstruction of Business, which carries 5 years alone and was charged for the same count a second time. Thus, adding up to his prior charges, he currently faces a possible 31 years of sentence in prison if found guilty. In addition to the deepfake charges, Johnny Somali is facing a series of serious allegations, including threats to spread HIV, promoting North Korean propaganda, and breaching anti-terrorism laws. These claims have yet to result in formal charges, but they remain under active investigation by South Korean authorities.
Express Tribune
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Johnny Somali faces 31 years in South Korea after new deepfake sex crime charge
Streamer Johnny Somali, real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael, could face up to 31 years in prison in South Korea following a new sex crime charge reported on May 8, 2025. The charge adds to a growing list of legal issues for the American content creator, whose controversial behaviour abroad has repeatedly drawn legal scrutiny. Ismael, who previously streamed in Japan and Israel, travelled to South Korea in 2024, where his disruptive broadcasts included harassing locals, interrupting businesses, and provoking other streamers. One notable incident led to him being knocked out by a former Korean Navy SEAL, who was later fined for the assault. Ismael was initially charged for allegedly distributing a deepfake video depicting himself kissing popular Korean streamer BongBong. Legal Mindset, a YouTube lawyer and commentator, reported that a second deepfake charge has now been filed, likely involving additional Korean figures with whom Ismael had online altercations. In South Korea, distributing deepfakes is considered a sex crime, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of 10.5 years. Combined with a guilty plea to one count of Obstruction of Business—which carries a maximum sentence of five years—Ismael now faces up to 31 years behind bars if convicted on all charges. He also faces another pending charge under the same statute. Additional allegations against Ismael, including threats to spread HIV, promoting North Korean propaganda, and violating anti-terrorism laws, remain under investigation. As of now, these claims have not resulted in formal charges. The legal proceedings continue as authorities evaluate further actions in response to his activities in South Korea.
