Johnny Somali: What to know about Arizona ‘internet troll’ sentenced to prison in South Korea

PHOENIX – Reports from Asia say an internet streamer from Arizona has been sentenced to prison by a court in South Korea for various offenses.

Here’s what to know about Johnny Somali, and the case he is embroiled in.

What happened?

According to reports by South Korea-based English language newspaper the Korea Herald, Somali was sentenced to six months in prison on April 15 (Seoul Time).

Big picture view:

The article states that Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, was found guilty of a number of offenses, including public nuisance and distributing AI-generated sexual content.

The Korea Herald article noted that prosecutors in Somali’s case had sought a three-year prison sentence. Somali had pleaded guilty to obstruction of business charges, as well as violations of a South Korean law known as the “Minor Offenses Act,” on March 7.

Who is Johnny Somali?

According to UK-based newspaper The London Standard, Somali is an Arizona native. U.S. media outlet Newsweek also states that Somali was raised in Arizona, and once attended Arizona State University.

Dig deeper:

Per a report by the BBC, Somali is known for provacative content, and that has led to his banning by several streaming platforms. The Associated Press describes Somali as a “self-proclaimed internet troll.”

This is also not the first time Somali has encountered legal problems abroad: Japan-based Asahi Shimbun reported in 2023 that Somali, along with another American, was arrested by police in Osaka for allegedly trespassing on a construction site.

What did Somali do in South Korea?

What we know:

The AP’s article on Somali’s sentencing states that the man sparked public outrage in South Korea back in October 2024, after he posted a video of himself kissing and performing a lap dance on a statue that was erected to commemorate “comfort women,” or victims of the Japanese military’s sexual slavery during World War II.

Somali, per the Korea Herald, was also accused of creating other disturbances in public, such as playing the North Korean national anthem and North Korean music loudly, and spilling cup noodles at a Seoul convenience store. According to a 2018 article by InsideHook, the North Korean national anthem is banned from being played in South Korea.

The Korea Herald also reported that Somali praised the “Rising Sun Flag” in one incident. While the Japanese Government states that the flag, like the country’s national flag, models the shape of the sun and is “widely used throughout Japan,” the AP noted in 2021 that some in China, Korea, and other Asian countries hold the position that the flag is comparable to the Nazi swastika, and is a reminder of Japanese wartime atrocities. 

What are “comfort women”?

The backstory:

Per a document published on the website of Morehead State University in Kentucky, an estimated 80,000 to 200,000 Korean women were used as sex slaves during World War II. Wider public awareness of the issue came about decades after the war, when those who survived the ordeal began to tell their story.

The issue of the so-called “comfort women” has been sensitive at times, as the document states that the Japanese city of Osaka cut sister city ties with San Francisco, after a comfort women statue was unveiled in San Francisco in 2017.

What happens next for Somali?

The Korea Herald reported on March 11 that Somali will likely be deported from South Korea after he serves his sentence, citing an attorney in the country.

The lawyer also noted that those who are deported from South Korea are typically also banned from reentering the country for a certain period of time. For serious offenses, that reentry ban could be permanent.