Johnny Somali accused of violating anti-terrorism laws after South Korean bomb scare

Michael Gwilliam
johnny somali on subway

Controversial streamer Johnny Somali could be facing terrorism charges as the creator is already banned from leaving South Korea.

Ever since arriving in South Korea, Johnny Somali – real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael – has caused chaos and incurred the country’s wrath for disrespecting its culture.

So far, Somali has only been charged with obstruction of business for wreaking havoc inside a 7-Eleven, but he has a laundry list of other alleged offenses that are also being investigated.

His latest alleged crime was revealed by YouTuber Legal Mindset, who has been following Somali’s streams closely… and it could land the creator in extremely hot water.

In a deleted video, Somali was on the Seoul metro while his stream’s text-to-speech kept repeating, “I have a bomb,” over and over while walking through the train.

“I’m sorry,” Somali told passengers. “There are kids right here, bro.”

It’s possible that this prank was thanks to his viewers, who donated to have their comments read aloud using the TTS.

“Johnny Somali violating both the Railway Act and Anti-Terrorism laws in this deleted video, that has now been exposed,” Legal Mindset explained.

A few moments after leaving the train, Somali received another donation and the North Korean anthem began playing.

Ismael could already be facing legal challenges for spreading North Korean propaganda in the country, and this subway incident is yet another example of his divisive behavior.

This isn’t the first time that Somali’s TTS has gotten him in trouble. As X user CancelJohnnys pointed out, in Japan, the streamer played bomb threats and other remarks against the Japanese Prime Minister.

These potential terrorism charges are just the latest in a long list of alleged crimes being investigated by the South Korean authorities.

As Dexerto reported, South Korean police have launched an investigation into Somali’s alleged drug use – a crime that comes with a maximum penalty of ten years in jail.

Somali could also be facing seven additional years in prison for using deepfake AI to depict himself kissing Korean streamer bongbong.

While Somali is confident that he won’t face jail time and will be able to return to the United States, all that might change once he makes his first, in what could be many, court appearances.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is Dexerto's Deputy Entertainment Editor in the US. He expertly covers trending stories across Twitch, Kick, YouTube, TikTok, as well as Overwatch, GTA, and Smash Bros. You can contact him at: michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com