Youtuber Johnny Somali apologises for kissing wartime memorial statue in Korea

Johnny Somali, a 24-year-old American YouTuber, has issued an apology following a highly controversial incident in Korea. Somali sparked outrage when he kissed a statue symbolising Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery, known as the “comfort women,” during his visit to Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul.
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According to a report by The Korea Times, Somali expressed regret for his actions in a video posted by the YouTube channel Jcompany on Thursday. Standing next to the statue, Somali bowed and apologised to the Korean public, saying, “I want to apologise to Koreans. I didn’t understand the significance of the statue.” He further explained that his intent had been to entertain his American audience, but acknowledged that his behaviour was disrespectful. Somali also added in Korean, “I’m truly sorry.”
Despite the apology, many viewers have expressed doubts about Somali’s sincerity. Critics point out that the YouTuber has yet to remove several controversial posts from his social media accounts. One notable incident involved Somali posting a picture on Instagram holding a photo of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the caption, “I defeated Koreans for you, Shinzo Abe.” Although the YouTube post has since been deleted, the Instagram photo remains, albeit with a revised caption: “RIP Shinzo Abe!”
A post shared by Johnny Somali 🇮🇱 (@johnnysomalia)
Since the YouTuber dropped the apology video, people have been searching about him which prompted his name to trend on Google.
Further stoking controversy, Somali also posted a video of himself lying down and dancing in a subway car, which has not been taken down. While he did remove videos of himself disrespecting the statue and causing a disturbance in a convenience store — incidents that led to a police investigation — some questionable content is still visible online.
(Also read: Indian influencer faces backlash for mocking Chinese locals in viral video, people ask her to ‘get educated’)
A post shared by Johnny Somali 🇮🇱 (@johnnysomalia)
As per the The Korea Times, Somali is also under investigation by Seoul’s Mapo Police for obstruction of business following his behaviour in the convenience store. In addition, the police are looking into allegations of assault and drug use. Somali is currently under an “exit ban,” preventing him from leaving Korea until the investigation concludes.
However, the scepticism surrounding his actions continues to grow as many question whether his apology is genuine or merely a response to public backlash.