YouTuber Johnny Somali faces 10-yr prison sentence for kissing statue in South Korea

American YouTuber Johnny Somali is under heavy criticism after a video showed him kissing and posing with a statue honoring Korean women who were victims of sexual slavery during Japan’s occupation. Somali’s actions, filmed at the Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, have sparked outrage among Koreans and viewers globally.

In the October 9 video, Somali was seen kissing the “Statue of Peace” in Itaewon, Seoul, and dancing in front of the memorial, which honors thousands of Korean women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military from 1910 to 1945.

Somali later expressed remorse in a video on YouTube channel Jcompany, bowing in apology and admitting he misunderstood the statue’s significance. He apologized in Korean, saying, he was truly sorry.