American YouTuber Johnny Somali apologises for kissing statue honoring Korean wartime victims

American YouTuber Johnny Somali, 24, has issued an apology for kissing a statue in Seoul, South Korea, commemorating Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery. The kissing video, posted to his YouTube channel, sparked outrage among viewers.

"I want to apologize to Koreans. I didn't understand the significance of the statue," Somali said in a video posted Thursday on the Jcompany YouTube channel. He explained that his actions were intended to entertain his American audience. The video shows Somali bowing before the statue at the Changdong History and Culture Park and saying in Korean, "I'm truly sorry for being disrespectful."

Despite his apology and his expressed interest in learning about the history of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, some viewers remain unconvinced of Somali's sincerity. Their skepticism arises from Somali's failure to remove other controversial content from his social media accounts.

This includes a photo on his Instagram account, originally captioned "I defeated Koreans for you, Shinzo Abe," featuring Somali holding a picture of the former Japanese prime minister. While the YouTube post has been deleted, the Instagram caption was changed to "RIP Shinzo Abe!" as of Friday. Other contentious content, like a video of Somali dancing inside a subway car, also remains on his accounts.


Seoul Mapo Police confirmed on October 31 that Somali is under investigation for obstruction of business due to his behavior in a convenience store, according to The Korea Times. In addition to an inquiry into alleged assault and drug use, Somali is currently prohibited from leaving South Korea due to an "exit ban."