Controversial American live-streamer faces prison in South Korea for offensive behavior

A controversial American live-streamer is facing the prospect of prison in South Korea for his offensive antics, in a case that is shining a light on the rise of so-called “nuisance influencers” seeking clicks overseas.

Ramsey Khalid Ismael, 24, commonly known by his online alias, “Johnny Somali,” has been indicted of causing a “commotion” at a convenience store, Seoul prosecutors confirmed to CNN. If convicted he faces up to five years in prison.

A departure ban has also been placed on Ismael, preventing him from leaving the country while authorities continue their investigation, CNN affiliate MBC News reported.

CNN has reached out to Ismael for comment. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Ismael, who has built a reputation online for his provocative, often highly offensive video stunts, has been banned by multiple social media companies, after he was accused by critics of harassing locals in countries across Asia in an apparent effort to boost his online viewership.

The live-streamer has a combined following in the low five figures across Instagram, TikTok and Rumble. CNN reached out to all three platforms regarding Ismael’s content, but did not immediately hear back.

Earlier this month, Ismael posted an online apology after he was accused of desecrating a South Korean monument to women subjected to sexual slavery in World War II, causing widespread outrage in the country.

Angry locals threatened reprisals against the live-streamer in online posts following the incident. Footage subsequently broadcast by CNN affiliate JTBC showed Ismael being kicked as a group of people followed him. Separately, a man was arrested in Seoul last month for allegedly punching Ismael in the face, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Seoul police declined to comment.

The public backlash in South Korea appeared to reflect a broader frustration in the region with foreigners who exploit local customs for online fame, with Ismael being an extreme example of bad behavior.

According to Japanese news reports, foreign content creators have recently been accused of a string of transgressions in the country, from dodging railway fares to doing pull-ups on a shrine gate and “nuisance dancing” on Tokyo subway trains.

It coincides with a souring sentiment on mass tourism among many Japanese people as the country experiences record visitor numbers and a rise in reports of tourists behaving badly.

Earlier this month, a 65-year-old American tourist was arrested in Tokyo for allegedly carving letters into a shrine gate, just two months after a 61-year-old Austrian man was arrested for having sex on the grounds of a shrine.

Ismael’s recent trip to Japan was also met with controversy.

Last year, the live-streamer was arrested in Osaka on suspicion of trespassing in a construction site, according to the Kyodo News agency. Ismael also caused outrage in Japan by posting videos of himself taunting commuters about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while hurling insults.

John Lie, a sociology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said Ismael serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of disregarding cultural boundaries in an interconnected world.

Though it was possible he has a deeper motive, the provocateur’s behavior appeared primarily designed to attract attention in a “quest to be a social media celebrity,” Lie said.

“There’s nothing significant there save his provocateur persona: a garden-variety character in today’s social mediascape,” he added.