American YouTuber faces 10-yr prison sentence for kissing statue in South Korea

American YouTuber Johnny Somali sparked outrage after a video showed him kissing and posing with Seoul’s "Statue of Peace," which memorializes Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan from 1910 to 1945.

Somali, visiting Changdong History and Culture Park, intended the stunt for his American audience but later apologized, acknowledging his actions were disrespectful.

His apology, released by YouTube’s Jcompany, featured him bowing and expressing regret for his lack of awareness about the statue’s significance.

The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with many seeing his actions as insensitive and lacking respect for Korean cultural history.