Johnny Somali, whose mother was reported to have asked for leniency from the court last month ahead of the streamer’s South Korea sentencing, has been given six months behind bars.
On Wednesday (April 15), the New York Times reported that a court rep had confirmed the sentence, which follows his indictment on multiple charges including obstruction of business.
“The court has sentenced him to six months in prison,” a Seoul Western District Court rep confirmed to AFP, per a separate report from the Guardian.
The 25-year-old, 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.
Among the other charges Somali was found guilty of was distribution of fabricated sexually explicit material, per the Associated Press. As part of his sentence, according to local reports, he is also banned from employment involving children for a period of five years.
“To all the people of South Korea, I just want to apologize for what I’ve done,” Somali said in a video shared in 2024. “I really did not mean to hurt your guys’s pride this much. You guys are a good people, you guys are a great people. … It was not my intention to really hurt you guys and I hope you guys can accept my apology. I’m a young person. I want to grow as a man. I made a mistake and I think when you make a mistake in life you need to own up to it.”
Despite that apology, the Korea Herald reports that Somali attempted to wear a MAGA hat inside a courtroom the following year. Outside a courtroom on Wednesday, Somali apologized again.
