Johnny Somali has asked a South Korean court for forgiveness after being handed a six-month prison sentence following his indictment on multiple charges including obstruction of business.
According to The Daily Chosun, the 25-year-old American streamer (born Ramsey Khalid Ismael) appeared before the Seoul Western District Court's Criminal Appeals Division 1 on Thursday morning (June 11).
Somali’s legal counsel apologized on behalf of their client for his actions and asked for leniency as prosecutors pushed for a significantly harsher sentence.
"We reflect on our disrespectful behavior toward the Republic of Korea. This will never happen again," Somali told the court via his attorney. "Please consider as a sentencing factor that while I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and took medication in the U.S., I stopped taking it after entering the country."
In April, per the Associated Press, Somali was sentenced to six months in prison and 20 days of detention after being convicted on all eight charges at his original trial: four counts of obstructing business, two counts of violating the Minor Offenses Punishment Act, and two counts of distributing sexual deepfakes. The court also ordered him to be detained due to flight risk.
The 25-year-old streamer (born Ramsey Khalid Ismael) was widely criticized for several inflammatory incidents in the region circa 2024, including his mockery of a memorial statue in honor of women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
Lee Don-ho, the attorney representing deepfake victim BongBong IRL, commented that his client's legal team actively sought the prosecution's appeal. "The court's decision already sent a warning that violating South Korea's laws carries consequences regardless of nationality," he said. "But a stronger punishment is needed."
A decision on Somali's appeal ruling will be made June 25 at the Seoul Western District Court.
