Johnny Somali extends another apology as YouTuber sentenced to jail

Controversial US YouTuber Johnny Somali has been sentenced to jail for six months in South Korea for public nuisance and other offences.

Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has issued an apology on his way into the courtroom on Wednesday.

Somali issued an apology on his way into the courtroom on Wednesday, with local media reporting that he said: "I am remorseful... I want to apologise to the people of Korea. And I want to change my life and become a better person."

A court in Seoul said on Wednesday, Johnny caused outrage for filming himself kissing a statue commemorating Korean wartime sex slaves and the Youtuber has been sentenced to six months in prison.

Johnny, 25, gained notoriety several years ago for recording himself doing a series of provocative stunts in South Korea and Japan, and streaming them on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

South Korean authorities indicted Somali in 2024 on public order violations and obstruction of business, and banned him from leaving the country.

According to a report by the AFP, "The court has sentenced him to six months in prison" on charges included violating the Minor Offences Act -- which covers a wide variety of public order crimes -- obstruction of business, and distribution of false video content.

In October 2024, Somali uploaded a video of himself kissing and twerking beside the statue, causing strong public backlash and condemnation, and the clip was later removed.

Somali apologised at the time, saying he was "not aware of the significance of the statue".

But attitudes towards him remained unforgiving, and he was sometimes chased and even physically assaulted by offended South Koreans, according to reports.