Editor’s note: Ramsey Khalid Ismael, the American YouTuber who sparked outrage across South Korea with provocative stunts such as dancing on a statue honoring victims of wartime sexual slavery, was sentenced to six months in prison in a Seoul court on April 15, according to the Associated Press.
CNN —
A controversial American live streamer is facing a possible prison sentence in South Korea for his offensive antics. The incident highlights the rise of so-called “unsolicited influencers” seeking clicks overseas.
Ramzi Khalid Ismael, 24, commonly known by his online alias “Johnny Somali,” has been charged with causing a “disturbance” at a convenience store, Seoul prosecutors confirmed to CNN. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
According to CNN affiliate MBC News, Ismael is also subject to a travel ban, preventing him from leaving the country while authorities continue their investigation.
CNN has reached out to Ismael for comment. It is unclear whether he has a lawyer.
Ismael, who has built a reputation online for his provocative and often highly offensive video stunts, has been banned by several social media companies after critics accused him of harassing local residents in Asian countries in order to increase his online viewership.
This livestreamer has a total of 5-digit followers on Instagram, TikTok, and Rumble. CNN reached out to all three platforms regarding Ismael’s content, but did not immediately receive a response.
Earlier this month, Ismael was accused of desecrating a monument to South Korean women subjected to sexual slavery in World War II and posted an online apology, sparking huge outrage in the country.
Angry locals threatened retribution against the live streamers in online posts after the incident. Video later broadcast by CNN affiliate JTBC showed Ismael being chased by the crowd and being kicked. Separately, Yonhap News reported that a man was arrested in Seoul last month on suspicion of punching Ismael in the face. Seoul Police declined to comment.
The public backlash in South Korea appears to reflect widespread frustration across the region against foreigners exploiting local customs for online fame, and Ismael was an extreme example of egregious behavior.
Foreign content creators have recently been accused of a series of violations in the country, ranging from train fare evasion to doing pull-ups at shrine gates to “nuisance dancing” on Tokyo subway trains, according to Japanese news reports.
This coincides with worsening sentiment against mass tourism among many Japanese, as the country hits record visitor numbers and reports of misbehaving tourists rise.
Earlier this month, a 65-year-old American tourist was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly carving letters on a shrine’s torii gate, just two months after a 61-year-old Austrian man was arrested on suspicion of having sex on shrine grounds.
Ismael’s recent visit to Japan was also controversial.
According to Kyodo News, the live streamer was arrested in Osaka last year on suspicion of trespassing at a construction site. Ismael also posted a video in which he insulted and insulted commuters about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, sparking outrage in Japan.
John Lee, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said Ismael is a wake-up call about the dangers of ignoring cultural boundaries in an interconnected world.
Although he may have deeper motives, the provocateur’s actions appear to have been primarily intended to attract attention in his “quest to become a social media celebrity,” Lee said.
“There is nothing more important than his character as a provocateur, a variety of characters in today’s social media world,” he added.
CNN’s Ava Ko contributed reporting.
