Johnny Somali, a 24-year-old American YouTuber, has issued an apology following his controversial act of kissing a statue in Korea symbolizing the “comfort women,” Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery.
The incident took place at Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, sparking outrage.
Somali later posted a video on Thursday where he expressed regret, saying, “I want to apologise to Koreans. I didn’t understand the significance of the statue.” He added, “I’m truly sorry” in Korean, explaining that he intended to entertain his American audience but acknowledged his behavior was disrespectful.
Watch the video here:
Doubts Over Sincerity
Despite his apology, many viewers are skeptical about Somali’s sincerity. Critics note that he has not removed several controversial social media posts, including one where he previously captioned a photo with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, “I defeated Koreans for you, Shinzo Abe.” Although the post was deleted, the image remains on his Instagram with a revised caption: “RIP Shinzo Abe!” Somali also posted a video of himself dancing in a subway car, which has not been removed.
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Ongoing Investigation
Adding to the controversy, Somali also posted a video of himself lying down and dancing in a subway car, which remains online. While he deleted videos of himself disrespecting the statue and causing a disturbance in a convenience store—incidents that triggered a police investigation—some questionable content still remains accessible.
Watch:
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Somali has been placed under an “exit ban” and cannot leave Korea until the investigation concludes. The controversy surrounding his apology continues, with many questioning whether it is a genuine response or just an attempt to mitigate public outrage.