Johnny Somali, an American YouTuber whose real name is Ramzy Khalid Ismael, who stirred controversy by, among other acts, kissing the Statue of Peace, was also sentenced to prison on appeal.
According to legal sources on the 25th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Ban Jeong-woo, senior judge) dismissed both the prosecution's and the defendant's appeals and upheld the lower court's ruling in Somali's appellate trial on charges including obstruction of business, distribution of false video under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and violation of the Minor Offenses Act.
The first-instance sentence of six months in prison and 20 days of detention for Somali was maintained. However, the appellate panel canceled only the order to confiscate one mobile phone, finding that the legal requirements were not met.
The appellate court said, "The defendant argued that the sentence was excessively heavy and the prosecution countered that it was too light, but considering these arguments comprehensively, the first-instance sentence did not deviate from a reasonable range."
Somali was brought to trial on charges of obstructing business in Oct. last year by playing loud music and spilling cup noodle soup on a table at a convenience store in Mapo District, Seoul. In the same month, he is also accused of causing discomfort by carrying a bag of foul-smelling fish and accosting numerous passersby on a street in Mapo District, and of creating a disturbance by playing loud music and dancing on buses and the subway.
Earlier, Somali drew public outrage after he broadcast live on YouTube himself kissing the Statue of Peace and performing obscene dances. However, the acts insulting the Statue of Peace were not included in the indictment.