Johnny Somali’s trial in South Korea puts spotlight on ‘nuisance influencers’
South Koreans are calling for authorities to severely punish these attention-seeking influencers and bar them from entering the country
Johnny Somali is seen disturbing passengers on a Seoul subway. Photo: Instagram/johnnysomalia
The trial of an American content creator whose disruptive and culturally insensitive acts sparked outrage in South Korea has fuelled calls for sterner responses to these so-called nuisance influencers.
Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been barred from leaving South Korea and faces seven charges, including obstruction of business and violations of the Minor Offences Act, according to local media.
Ismael’s earlier charges were relatively minor but at his second hearing on May 16, he faced two serious charges of creating pornographic deepfakes, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10½ years.
The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to the five minor charges and not guilty to the sex charges. His next trial hearing is scheduled for August 13.
Among the actions he has been charged with are brandishing a dead fish on the subway, kissing a statue commemorating Korean World War II sex slaves as well as holding up a Japanese “Rising Sun” flag and calling the disputed Liancourt Rocks by their Japanese name of Takeshima.
The sex charges have to do with AI-generated deepfake pornographic videos featuring Ismael and a female South Korean live-streamer.
And unlike the previous charges, in which he could simply be fined, this serious sexual offence carries a mandatory prison sentence of up to seven years.
“This is not simply an issue of digital mischief,” legal analyst Legal Mindset told Yahoo.com news website in March when the new charges were announced. “This is a serious sexual offence, and South Korea’s courts will treat it as such. When deepfakes are weaponised to humiliate or defame, the legal system responds with severe consequences.”
‘Nuisance influencers’
Ismael represents a new kind of content creator who deliberately stir up trouble in public to generate views and online visibility – or “nuisance influencers”, a term coined by CNN.
As Ismael’s trial began in March, his compatriot and fellow influencer Ice Poseidon came under fire for a live stream in Busan where he and his companions rampaged in public, kicking rubbish bins and mocking Korean food.
While riding in a taxi, he live-streamed himself speaking Korean in an exaggerated tone, seemingly to ridicule the elderly driver.
In response to these incidents, South Koreans are calling for authorities to respond to respond sternly to Ismael’s case to establish a strong precedent.
YouTuber Ice Poseidon came under fire for a live stream in Busan in March. Photo: YouTube/Ice Poseidon
While Ismael was prosecuted, some said the initial response from law enforcement was too lenient, allowing him to persist in harassing locals and disturbing public order.
“I hope a fair and firm ruling is delivered in Johnny Somali’s case to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women’s University, wrote on social media. “A strong punishment should be imposed to set an example.”
Some of the country’s netizens have also called for a boycott of streamers whose offensive behaviour appears to be rewarded with attention, and consequently ad revenue.
“Many people keep watching, commenting, and even subscribing while criticising them. But that attention is exactly what feeds YouTubers like Somali,” one user wrote on social media. “People should stop giving them any attention, and immigration authorities should prevent them from entering Korea.”
Ice Poseidon has around 695,000 YouTube subscribers while Ismael’s channel has been suspended.
Under the Immigration Control Act, a foreign national may be subject to deportation if their actions are deemed harmful to national interests or public safety, an immigration official told The Korea Herald.
“A comprehensive review of specific facts, including whether any laws were violated, is necessary before making a determination,” the official added.
