A moment of recklessness has landed an American social media influencer in hot water. Johnny Somali, a 24-year-old American YouTuber, has sparked outrage after he was seen kissing a statue that represented Korean women who were victims of sexual assault during the era of the Japanese occupation of Korea. During a visit to the Changdong History and Culture Park in Seoul, the YouTuber thoughtlessly kissed and posed with the statue.
On October 9, he uploaded a video showing himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, while also performing an inappropriate dance in front of the monument. The statue honors the tens of thousands of young women who were subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military during Korea’s occupation from 1910 to 1945. As reported by The Korea Times , Somali conveyed his remorse for his actions in a video shared by the YouTube channel Jcompany on Thursday.
Standing next to the statue, Johnny bowed to the Korean audience and said, “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.” Agencies Agencies Koreans In No Mood To Forgive Despite his apology, many viewers remain skeptical about Somali's sincerity. Critics highlight that he has not yet taken down numerous contentious posts from his social media.
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