American YouTuber Johnny Somali apologizes for kissing the statue honoring war victims in Korea

American YouTuber Johnny Somali24, has apologized for kissing a statue in Seoul, South Korea, commemorating Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery. The kissing video posted on his YouTube channel sparked outrage among viewers.
“I would like to apologize to the Koreans. I didn’t understand the meaning of the statue,” Somali said in a video posted on Jcompany’s YouTube channel on Thursday. He explained that his actions were intended to entertain his American audience. The video shows Somali bowing to the statue at Changdong Historical and Cultural Park and saying in Korean: “I'm really sorry for being disrespectful.”
Despite his apology and expressed interest in learning more about the history of Japanese wartime sex slavery, some viewers remain unconvinced of Somali's sincerity. Their skepticism stems from Somali's failure to remove other controversial content from his social media accounts.

This includes a photo on his Instagram account with the original caption, “I defeated the Koreans for you, Shinzo Abe,” in which Somali holds a picture of the former Japanese prime minister. While the YouTube post was deleted, the Instagram caption was changed to “RIP Shinzo Abe!” As of Friday. Other controversial content, such as a video of Somali dancing in a subway car, continues to appear on his accounts.

According to the Korea Times, Seoul Mapo police confirmed on October 31 that Somali was being investigated for obstruction of business for his behavior in a supermarket. In addition to an investigation into alleged assault and drug use, Somali is currently banned from leaving South Korea due to a “travel ban.”